


Preacher's Daughter No More

by Black_Papess



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: Anal Sex, F/M, Geckocest, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, M/M, Masterbation, Oral Sex, Plot, Profanity, Sex, Violence, Yeahdefinitelyprofanity, Yes there's a storyline in there.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-11-13
Packaged: 2018-07-26 14:01:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 85,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7576654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Black_Papess/pseuds/Black_Papess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story line takes place in my own special alternate universe, the plot diverges during the terrible tribulations of the Titty Twister. This is a universe in which Santanico Pandemonium does not turn Richard Gecko and instead meets her demise somewhat ambiguously at the hands of the Gecko brothers.<br/>The only thing I will apologize for is my use of the Spanish language, I have inserted bits into the story and I have a basic understanding of the terms used, but I am most certainly unsure if I have used them properly.<br/>I am a huge fan of highly descriptive writing styles, so what I have attempted to do here is create a lush, immersive experience. It takes a little longer to get to the point but I personally think it's well worth the wait. This will be an ongoing story with many chapters and it will end when it is complete.<br/>So here we are, months after the Twister, our favorite criminal brothers are together still.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sweet, hot, cherry pie.

The convenience store clerk looked up from the magazine he was reading as the little bell on the door jingled and in walked Kate. She was wearing a short white sundress and a pair of strappy high heel sandals, something her daddy never would have approved of. She casually sucked on a lollipop as she walked toward him then popped it out of her mouth as she stood in front of the counter. She tapped the lollipop against pink lips as she looked at the cigarettes, feigning interest in making a selection. The twenty something guy behind the counter stared longingly at the lollipop, wondering what her lips must taste like, it was a deep red and looked like.....cherries.

"Hablas englais?" Kate asked arching an eyebrow.

"Pequito." He squeaked out, making a tiny gesture with his thumb and forefinger.

"I don't see my brand," Kate pointed to the cigarettes with a pink lacquered fingernail, "could I just come back there to get a better look at your selection?" she asked, pushing the lollipop back past her partially opened lips.

The clerk nodded wordlessly, his whole world hinging on the movement of that lollipop. He inhaled slightly as she squeezed around him, her breasts brushing his chest as she passed, their faces were inches apart. Her hands worked behind her as she pushed her body past his and she grabbed the sawed off shotgun that was hidden underneath the counter, out of the sight of customers.

The bell jingled as the door opened again and Kate used the distraction to move the gun to her side, obstructing it from view. She looked up as two gorgeous men in dark suits sauntered in from the afternoon heat.

One had hair slicked back to perfection, he was clean shaven, and quite tall, his lithe build elevated the appearance of his height. There was an air of arrogance about him as he strolled across the floor. He raised two long, slender fingers to push a pair of horn rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose, bringing attention to piercing blue eyes which were fixated firmly on Kate. She shivered, it made her feel breathless having that gaze so strongly upon her.

The other of the pair had a somewhat darker complexion, a five o'clock shadow ran along his jawline and his dark, close cropped hair had a slightly disheveled appearance. He was shorter than his companion with a muscular build that stretched his suit tight across the shoulders. This one walked with a leisurely swagger but had an air of readiness about him that seemed predatory and dangerous. His liquid brown eyes were focused upon Kate so intensely that she felt a ferocious heat building within her.

The pair split up, the well-groomed bespectacled man came toward her while his darker companion circled around to the back of the store.

"Excuse me miss," The tall man spoke as he approached the counter, his voice had a pleasant ring to it and when he smiled with all of his teeth, the combination with his glasses and suit made him look like some kind of bible salesman. "I was going to ask for a pack of cigarettes, but now that I see that sucker you have there I was wondering if I could get one of those myself." His smile was very congenial but his voice was dripping with a self-confidence that made Kate fidget.

"Oh, I don't work here." She giggled, her heart was racing but she was trying to be cool, "I was just looking for some cigarettes myself when you came in."

"Well.....will you sell me one of those suckers?"

The clerk jerked as he realized the man was speaking to him. Just then the other Suit came loping up one of the isles and sat a case of shitty Mexican beer on the counter, standing next to his partner. They were all three of them staring at the store clerk then and he wilted slightly under their scrutiny.

"Uh," the clerk cleared his throat, unsure of himself with everyone staring, "uh, I don't think we have that kind." He said sheepishly.

"Oh, what a shame, that looks so delicious." He grinned slyly and winked at Kate roguishly. "I really want a taste."

And with that he leaned in over the counter, his blue eyes inches from Kate's, and pulled the sucker from her mouth, the noise was obscene as it slurped from her tongue, there was a little trail of saliva still connecting Kate's mouth to it. He tongued the lollipop into his own mouth and closed his eyes dramatically. "Mmmm MMMM! That is delectable!"

The store clerk was immediately bewildered at what was happening, his jaw dropped in astonishment.

Those blue eyes were holding Kate's gaze as the man loomed over the counter top. His partner began impatiently strumming his fingers on the case of beer in front of him, cutting a look of annoyance at the other man. The taller man slurped the filched lollipop obnoxiously, obviously enjoying the irritation it was causing his companion.

"Mmm, tastes like sweet.....hot......" His blue eyes cut over to his partner for a moment, a ghost of a grin playing across his lips, then turned his look back upon Kate with fierce intensity, "cherry pie." he nearly whispered.

That was it. Heat spread through Kate, rising to her face, her cheeks staining red. Her breathing came shallow through slightly parted lips and she found herself leaning toward him, not knowing whether she wanted to slap him or kiss him fiercely.

Next to him his partner shifted. His dark eyes were burning holes through the other man, his hands clenched on the counter top looking like they wanted to crush the taller man's glasses into his face. Kate saw red creeping up his throat, making the flame pattern of the tattoo that ran up his neck stand out. He flushed all the way to his hairline as he stared the other man down. The taller man grinned, not bothering to look at his partner, he seemed to know the effect his little display was having on him.

Kate let go of a little sigh, boys will be boys. She decided that it was time to put an end to this game. When she turned her head to look at the store clerk she saw that he was still gawking at the man who had stolen her lollipop. Kate shifted slightly, bringing attention to the gun she had shielded from the clerk on the other side of her.

Her movement caught the eye of the stockier man and as soon as he saw the shotgun in Kate's hand he whipped a gun out from behind his waistband and took aim. The hapless young clerk jumped and his hands shot out to the space beneath the counter where he grasped for a gun that wasn't there. He stopped moving and stood there shaking.

"I'll give you money, uh, uh, ta....take whatever you want. Just please don't hurt us!" He moved jerkily so that he was blocking Kate from the man holding the gun.

The tension suddenly broke as the two men in suits looked at each other and began laughing uproariously, the shorter of the two brushed a tear from the corner of his eye all the while keeping his gun leveled at the clerk. Kate couldn't help it, her heart went out to the poor young man as he stood in front of her bravely. She felt a pang of guilt as she used the muzzle of his very own shotgun to move him aside. He tensed even more, and his breath came quick and shallow as he rolled his eyes toward the unsuspected threat. Kate used the gun to move the young man back from her, then she leveraged herself so that she was sitting on the counter top. She swung her legs up and over then slid down to stand between the partners.

Kate pulled the shotgun up, aiming it at the young clerk's chest. "We'll take the money," she glanced over at the darker man, "and the shitty beer. Please don't do anything to make us hurt you." With that she smiled apologetically.

He emptied the register into a plastic bag and thrust it into the hands of the blue eyed man, who wasn't even paying him any mind as he leered at the girl with the gun.

"Well Princess, I think it's time for us to go." With that he popped the lollipop back into her mouth, turned on his heel and started for the door. The girl lowered her gun and followed him out.

"Ahem." The sound of someone clearing their throat made the clerk jump. As he stood there gaping at the girl with his shotgun as she walked out of the store he had completely forgotten the man still standing there with a gun pointed squarely at his chest. The man motioned at him to come closer then he leaned over the counter conspiratorially, "She really is a sweet girl, you did a good thing trying to protect her." He gave the young man a friendly smile. "The problem is, the only thing that can protect a girl like that from monsters are even bigger monsters. The really bad kind of monsters that creep into your bedroom in the middle of the night and do terrible things that will give you nightmares, and have you looking under your bed, in the closet, and around every corner for the rest of your life." The threat in his words combined with his chummy smile made the young clerk swallow thickly. "If I hear a siren or see a flashing light in my rear view mirror while we make our way down the road from this shithole then you had better start looking under your bed for monsters. Believe me when I say the cops can't stop us, they are the good guys and we are the really fuckin' bad guys. Do yourself a favor, take a break from playing hero and saving little girls, and we will do our best to forget you ever even existed. Comprende?" The clerk nodded, a quick jerk of his head. The man lowered his gun, grabbed the case of beer, and loped toward the exit.

The little bell jingled as he pulled the door open, he turned for a moment to give the poor young clerk one last, meaningful look. Then he slipped through the doorway into the heat of the late afternoon sun.


	2. An uncomfortable car ride. Are we there yet?

"Seth, you need to slow down, please!" Kate yelled, panic in her voice.

Seth had a white knuckle grip on the steering wheel as they barreled down the dusty desert road. He revved the engine, ignoring her pleas from the backseat.

"Richie, what the fuck is wrong with you?" He reached over and cuffed his brother on the back of the head, cutting his eyes from the road to stare him down. Richie just smirked and tried to bat Seth's hand away as he raised it to cuff him again. "One of these days your silly little games are going to get you killed." Seth said it not like a warning, but as a promise, one that he would be much obliged to carry out.

"Seth!" Kate leaned forward from the backseat to insert herself between them. "We have money now, and everyone is safe, but we may not stay that way if you continue to drive like a total maniac." She put her hand on his shoulder, trying to diffuse the situation. She knew very well why he was so angry. Richie's little display in the store had wound him up, the "cherry pie" comment had sent Seth over the edge.

Kate remembered a time, a few short months ago, when the very same comment Richie had used to send Seth into a fit of rage had resulted in a broken nose. Looking back Kate saw that moment as the true turning point in her life.

Seth and Richard Gecko are infamous criminals. They had terrorized her family, dragging them across the border to Mexico, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. The terror and strife they experienced during their short trip across the border was more than enough for any one person to have to deal with in their life, but it had only been a precursor to something much worse.

There they stood at the entrance to a bar filled with the most sinful temptations, the pull of desire attracting a horde of hard used types and deplorable characters. It should have been obvious to them that they were standing at the gates of Hell itself.

The lanky man working the door wore a leather vest and a top hat, he looked like some sort of biker gypsy reject. He was waving his arms dramatically and calling out to the crowd forming near the doorway, "We've got only one item on the menu that's true, but we've got every flavor under the Mexican moon!" Her father began arguing with Seth, not wanting to subject his children to the debauchery that was surely on display inside the bar. The man at the door caught her attention again as he locked his eyes on her, "Hold on now, hold it! A new item has just been added to the a la carte menu; Sweet, hot, cherry pie." Kate felt panic rising in her has he advanced, licking his lips.

And then Seth was there. His jaw clenched in anger as he pounded his fist into the man's nose, sending a spurt of blood rolling down his chin and over the back of Seth's fist. Baptized in the blood of her enemy, that was the moment Seth had changed roles from captor to her protector.

With that they stepped through the doors of the Titty Twister and into the most horrific endeavor of their lives, one that would leave Kate fatherless and her brother so completely and terribly transformed that she sometimes wished he was dead too.

Kate shook herself, coming back to the situation at hand. "Seriously Seth, you're going to wreck us." She clenched her hand on his shoulder, a hint of fear coming through in her voice. Seth expelled a long breath and forced himself to relax his grip on the steering wheel.

Since the loss of her father Seth had asserted himself awkwardly into the role. It drove Kate absolutely insane! Even his monologues, which he was so fond of subjugating the world to, took on a fond lecturing tone when focused upon her. Though there were times that she was certain that his feelings for her were not entirely paternal. When he thought she wasn't paying attention he would stare at her, tracing her lines with his eyes as he chewed his lower lip. He would find all sorts of reasons to touch her, a pat on the back where his hand lingered, sometimes when they were sitting next to each other he would rest his hand on her knee and squeeze gently, like her father used to do, only Seth's fingers would begin to caress her leg absentmindedly. Kate didn't think that Seth even realized what he was doing most of the time, he was trying, in his screwed up Gecko way, to fill the void that losing her father had opened in her heart.

"Aw c'mon Katie-Cakes, I'm just trying to get some distance from that store." His voice was velvety smooth, he was using her nickname in an attempt to placate her. "Even after the little talk we had that clerk is bound to call the cops sooner or later. Not even your sweet little smile can stop a hero from being heroic." He shot her a reassuring smile, the combination of winsome charm and fatherly tenderness was an irritation to Kate. She shot him a look of long sufferance and rolled her eyes.

They rode the rest of the way in silence, Kate leaning between the brothers to keep the peace.


	3. Unexpected visitors. A rude awakening.

Seth continued driving through the day, passing one dusty town after another. Finally, as the sun began to sink toward the horizon painting the sky all in shades of red, Seth pulled into a motel. Richie got out and booked them a couple of adjoining rooms. He wandered back to the car with one hand shading his eyes, staring out toward the bloody sunset.

They pulled around back and got out of the car, still silent, no one was in the mood to talk. Seth opened the trunk and handed Kate a duffel bag and a backpack. Two bags that held all of Kate's possessions. She laughed to herself, thinking of all the stuff she owned, sitting in her room in her family home collecting dust, and wondered why she had ever needed so many things. Then the thought occurred to her that since the house had been vacant for so long that maybe her things weren't sitting in her room anymore but perhaps were packed away in a box, or donated to needy people, or sitting in a landfill rotting away. She grabbed her room key from Richie and slunk off to unlock her door, needing some peace.

Kate kept to herself for the rest of the evening, only unlocking the door adjoining her room to the brother's for a brief moment to snatch the takeout box containing her dinner from Richie. The look on his face as she grabbed the box made it plain that he was about to say something off hand and inappropriate, she shut the door quickly and locked it again before he could utter a word.

She showered and got into bed, not really tired but ready for the day to be over. Being caught up in the constant power struggle between the Gecko brothers was wearing on her. She had her earbuds in and was listening to music in the dark, trying to quiet her mind so she could relax, but the events of the day kept playing out. _".....Sweet, hot, cherry pie."_ The look Richie had given her when he spoke the words was one that still lingered, she could feel it like hands ghosting over her skin.

Kate turned up the volume of her music and slid a hand beneath her covers. She began to touch herself lightly, on the outside of her panties, she enjoyed the silky feeling of the fabric as her fingers ran up and down her crotch. Kate flipped the sheet off of her so that she could admire her underwear in the faint gleam of the streetlight coming in the window. She ran a finger along the waistband of the satiny material, they were a dusty rose shade of pink, which she loved, and there were white lace panels on each side. She watched herself slide a slim hand beneath the fabric and let out a little moan as she cupped her fingers around her opening. Just then the song that had been playing ended and Kate laughed out loud as Beck's "Go it Alone" came through on her headphones. As she rubbed her hand over her pussy she slid one finger just inside the tight little ring of muscle, holding it there as she rocked her hips in time to the music.

Suddenly there was a loud crash. Kate looked up, shock painting her face. There, standing in the doorway that connected her room to Seth and Richie's, was her brother.

"Scott!" Frightened as she was Kate felt a white hot streak of embarrassment envelop her from head to toe at being caught in such a compromising position. She sat up, pulling her t-shirt down to cover herself and yanked the headphones from her ears. She could hear all kinds of commotion going on in the Gecko brother's room behind Scott.

"Well, well Kate, I always wondered if you did shit like that, but I had figured you were too much of a prude. Though, you've been doing a lot of shit lately that is really unbecoming of a preacher's daughter." Scott smirked cruelly at her as he slowly advanced into the room. Kate jumped up from the bed and began backing away, he followed her, stepping forward with each step she took back.

"The Gecko brothers have been teaching big sis how to shoot and rob, is this another thing that they've taught you?" he let out a little laugh, "Honestly Kate, a professional criminal? That's way more badass then I would've given you credit for." Kate gasped as her back hit the wall.

Her heart felt like it was caught in a vice, the familiarity of his voice made her want to wrap him in a hug, bury her face in his shoulder and just cry. The harsh words he spoke and the predatory way he moved turned her stomach, it made her want to pull her hair and scream, she needed to run but there was nowhere for her to go. So there she stood, pinned against the wall as her brother advanced on her.

"Scott, if you've known where we were this whole time then why are you here now? Why didn't you come sooner?" Kate trembled as she met his eye, but he never got a chance to answer, he turned at the sound of a gunshot from the Gecko's room. Seth came tearing through the door, he lunged for Scott a wooden stake held firmly in his grasp. At the sight of the stake Scott transformed, his eyes turned a glowing yellow, the pupils narrowed and elongated turning to slits. His face turned scaly with a diamond pattern like a snake, and fangs dropped down replacing his front teeth. Scott's transformation didn't seem to have any effect on Seth as he brought the stake to bear, pushing it to Scott's back, aiming for his heart. Kate screamed and threw up her hand in a halting gesture.

"Seth! Seth wait, he's my brother!" she wailed as she stood, paralyzed against the wall.

"He's a fucking culebra Kate. He turned your father and now he's here to turn you!" Seth was poised, pressing the tip of the stake harder. "Your father chose to die so he wouldn't have to become a demon. I don't think you could bear being turned any better than he did." He was breathing heavily, preparing himself to finish Scott off.

"That could have been your brother Seth. That could have been Richie. Would you have been able to stake Richie if that demon bitch had sunk her fangs into him?" Seth hesitated, just then Richie came flying through the door, landing heavily on his back. Another culebra stepped through the doorway, yellow eyes blazing as he kept Richie in his sights. Scott used the distraction to lunge toward Kate, grabbing her he held her firmly in front of him, blocking Seth from being able to use his stake.

"You and your dumbshit brother killed my Queen, _my love,_ " the new culebra hissed, spitting the words at Richie. "you fucked up years of careful planning, and now you want to tell _ME NO_?!" He slid forward fluidly and planted one black cowboy boot on Richie's chest, pushing him back down as he began to rise. " _Pinche pendejo_! Don't you need to run that decision by your _marica_ brother? He is the one that makes the decisions in your little outfit, isn't that right?" He began to grind the heel of his boot into Richie, staring him down.

"Why would we agree to do any job for you, Carlos, you'd just double cross us in the end." Richie gasped from his place on the floor.

Seth's ears perked at the mention of a job as he kept his eyes glued to Kate, trying to figure out how to extract her from her brother's grip. "When you busted in our door fangs flying I thought you were looking for revenge, or maybe a little brother-sister family reunion." Seth chanced a quick look at Carlos, he hadn't moved off of Richie but his head was cocked to the side, he was listening. "In all that time we've spent looking over our shoulders, waiting for retaliation I never expected this. Seems like a hell of a way to persuade someone to pull a job for you." Seth kept his eyes locked on Kate, waiting for his chance.

" _Tonto del culo!_ I am not _asking_ you to do a job. I am fucking telling you that you are going to do this job for me. There will be a substantial cut for you-"

Seth cut in, "Yeah like that last job you had for us where you and your shitty, bloodsucking, hellbitch girlfriend double crossed us and we never got our fucking cut?"

"Everything would have gone according to plan if you and your _pendejo_ brother hadn't brought that fucking _rinche_ down on us." With the word _rinche_ Carlos gave Richie a sharp kick to the ribs, he yelled out squirming on his back on the floor. Carlos turned, looking at Seth, and pressed his boot back onto Richie's chest, holding him still. "You will do the fucking job. You will get your cut. If you need any more persuasion I would remind you that we could have paid you a visit anytime we wanted, we will always know where to find you. If you refuse me I will let baby brother over there tear into big sis, and we will drink her dry. Only then will I rip you both into pieces, because I want to. I won't even fucking eat you, you probably taste like shit." Scott tensed at the mention of tearing into Kate, and for a moment she was sure she was going to feel his fangs sinking into her.

"Hey, there's no need for threats among old friends like us Carlos." Seth turned his head toward him and gave him his best, winning smile. "All I'm saying is that we held up our end of the bargain last time, you're the one who blew that deal to shit. _Your_ bitchy girlfriend fucked my brother's head up and tried to turn him into one of you creepy ass fucks, her death was her own fault. We've been nothin' but goddamned Boy Scouts as far as you're concerned." He turned toward Carlos, lowering his stake, leaving Scott at his back with Kate. "We'll do your shit job and when we get our cut it better be good, cash only."

"I'm glad we could come to an understanding." Carlos moved first, he withdrew his boot from Richie's chest and took a step toward Seth, leaving the younger Gecko wheezing and coughing on the floor behind him. "Do the fucking job. Get paid. Keep your girl alive. That's all I want. I will contact you with the details when I am ready." Carlos motioned to Scott who slipped from behind Kate, edging past Seth to stand next to his master. As they got to the door Carlos turned to look at them, Richie slowly rising from the floor, Seth still standing in front of Kate, holding a stake. "A little warning Geckos." He smirked at Richie, "You play with me again and I'm gonna play with you, and you won't understand the meaning of the term until you've been played with by me." Carlos winked at the younger Gecko, who looked decidedly ill, and slipped away into the night.

They could hear sirens coming down the road from a distance as they drove away from the motel, Seth at the wheel again, driving like a bat out of hell....again.


	4. "There is nothing "common" about our criminality."

_".....let baby brother over there tear into big sis, and we will drink her dry."_

Kate woke with a shudder. She wanted to let her eyes slide closed and fall back into a deep slumber but her mind kept playing out the events of the previous night. The late afternoon sunlight streaming through the window was enticing and persistent, after having spent the day sleeping she needed to feel the sun on her skin. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, taking in her surroundings. She was in yet another dim motel room, threadbare sheets on her bed, a dingy worn out carpet, and one chair in the corner with stuffing coming out in more than just a few places. Most notable was the second bed in the room. Apparently the Gecko brothers didn't want to be separated after last night. which was fine with Kate. They were both laid out, fully dressed, in the bed next to each other.

Kate slipped silently from her beneath her covers, she realized that she was still in just a t-shirt and undies. Having to flee so swiftly last night they had just enough time to grab all of their stuff and pile into the car. Kate had fallen asleep sometime during their drive and one of the brothers must have carried her in and put her to bed. She padded across the carpet, locating her bag in a corner near the door, rummaging for a bit she found what she was looking for and made her way toward the bathroom. As she passed the brother's bed she paused to look at them.

Richie looked different to her laying there without his glasses, his hair mussed on the pillow and his face completely at peace. He almost looked like a child, full of innocence. Seth lay on his side, his mouth was slightly open and he was snoring faintly. He had full, gorgeous lips and Kate spent a moment admiring them, thinking about how soft they must be. She noticed, with a small shock, that the brothers were holding hands. Seth was leaning into Richie and had his hand on his brother's chest, Richie's hand covered his older brother's, his long fingers wrapping around Seth's. Kate broke her stare, her curiosity piqued.

When Kate emerged from the bathroom wearing her bikini Richie was awake. They didn't speak, he just extracted himself from Seth and rolled out of bed, straightening out his rumpled shirt and slacks, then followed Kate out of the room.

Kate floated in the lukewarm water of the pool, she stared up at the sky watching it slowly changing from blue to a pale yellow as the sun began to set. Richie sat in a plastic pool chair chain-smoking.

After a while Kate bellied up to the side of the pool, with her elbow on the cement edge she cradled her chin, looking up at Richie. "So what's the plan?"

Richie took a long drag and exhaled, looking at her. "There is no plan." He took another pull from his cigarette and blew a couple of smoke rings into the air.

"There has to be a plan. You're the Gecko brothers, you always have a plan! Are you really going to do the job for Carlos, or are we going to run?" Kate kicked her legs lazily behind her, still waiting for Richie to say something more. He tapped another cigarette out of his pack and lit it with the butt of the previous one, stubbed out the butt and flicked it away from him. "Well, whatever you guys decide I'm on board, and if you are going to do the heist I want to be in on it. Last night Scott said that I am becoming a professional criminal and I suppose he's right. You've already been teaching me little bits of what you do, why not give me the full education? It's not like I can go back to school and start a new career now, at this point I suppose becoming a common criminal is my best option." Kate grinned at him, trying to gauge his reaction.

Richie expelled a huge cloud of smoke, "Okay." was all he said. Kate waited for more but he just leaned back in his chair, puffing away.

Kate swam over to the ladder and climbed out of the pool, she could feel Richie's eyes on her. He retrieved her towel from the chair next to his, as she approached him reaching for it he unfolded it, extending the length in his arms. Kate rolled her eyes at him but stepped forward so that he could envelop her in the soft folds. She stood there, swaddled, as Richie just held her to him, he smelled like cigarettes and sweat. They stayed like that for a moment before he released her.

She pulled a chair over seating herself directly before him, their knees were touching slightly. "Just, 'Okay'?" Kate raised a questioning eyebrow. "I expected some sort of argument. Why are you being so cool about this?" She peered up at him, the setting sun was caught in his glasses reflecting a fiery orange hue across the lenses.

"Kate, you've been with us for months now and we've taught you a few tricks." He reached out and took her hands in his. "We can't just keep moving from town to town doing simple robberies for quick cash. The cops are going to catch up with us sooner or later. We need a big score, one that will set us up for a while at least. Carlos' job will get us that, and I want you to be a part of it." His thumbs ran circles around her palms. "After that little culebra party last night I realized that we will never be able to keep you completely safe, and if something were to happen to us you will need to be able to fend for yourself." His grip tightened as he looked at her intensely, leaning in closer. "You are tied to us Kate, you need to know how to live like us. Believe me Princess, there is nothing "common" about our criminality." His face was inches from hers now, his grip on her hands had become painful, grinding the little bones together in his intensity. He saw her wince and looked down at his hands as they squeezed hers, he relaxed his grip, smiling. "You know, it's not me that you really need to convince, sweetheart. Big brother is going to flip his shit when you tell him."

"I was hoping maybe you could tell him." Kate said grinning sheepishly.

Richie raised an eyebrow, "I think he would take it better coming from you. I'll be there to back you up, but he'll never go for it if he thinks it was my idea."

They both sat there for a while, Richie rubbing circles over Kate's hands with his thumbs. Neither of them wanted to return to the room and wake Seth to give him the news.


	5. A chapter in which Kate curses Seth and Richard with the depths of her soul.

Seth took it as well as they knew he would.

"This isn't a game Kate! This is dangerous business! How can I pull off a job like this if I'm looking after you the whole time?" Seth exhaled sharply, they had been at this for over an hour and he was getting frustrated.

"Richie said he could teach me." Kate told him impatiently.

"Richie said he could teach you what? What the fuck is Richie going to teach you?" Seth moved toward her aggressively, getting in her face. She didn't back down.

"To be like you. I want to learn Seth, all of it. I can help you with this job, think about it, you'd have one more person that you can trust to watch your back. If you're worried about me then teach me how to defend myself, I can't always rely on you to protect me." She wasn't shouting, she was just speaking. Loudly.

"Oh yeah," he raised his eyebrows at her, "you can't rely on me? Well Princess, I'm pretty sure if I hadn't walked in on your little family reunion the other night you'd be a fuckin' bloodsucking freak right now. Your very fuckin' welcome."

Kate's cheeks flushed red and her eyebrows drew down in a scowl, "You left me alone in the Twister Seth. You dragged me in there kicking, and screaming and left me. I was scared, and alone with those monsters. _I had to kill my own father._ " she spoke with bared teeth. "No, I can't always rely on you. Teach me Seth. If you won't do it because I'm asking then do it because you owe me." She knew it was a low blow but Seth had her so twisted up she was saying the words before she could think better of it.

In the end Seth never actually agreed, but he stopped arguing, Kate considered it a victory. He spent the remainder of the night getting piss drunk before passing out in a sweaty heap on the bed that he and Richard shared, still wearing his clothes from the previous night.

It was hot. There was no air conditioner in their room, and the ceiling fan only provided a lazy breeze, circulating muggy air. Seth was snoring loudly in the bed next to hers. Kate rolled over and put a pillow over her head, crushing it to her ear. No dice. The sound of Seth's snoring was loud and persistent, and the heat of the room made having her head under a pillow unbearable. Kate shimmied off the pair of boxers she had borrowed from Richie to keep her modesty. She had always slept in just a t-shirt and undies, the extra layer of clothing felt constricting.

Seth snorted loudly then continued to emit a sound not unlike a chainsaw. She wondered if the people in the room next to theirs were lying awake too, cursing the eldest Gecko like she was. She peeked over at the bed and sent up a silent curse for Richie too. He had his boxer clad form pressed against his brother's fully clothed body, with his head on Seth's chest. Their unique closeness was an oddity that Kate was content not to broach with the brothers. Richie was sleeping peacefully through the racket, his head gently moving with the rise and fall of Seth's breathing. _The bastard,_ Kate thought to herself, _he must be used to this._

Kate opened her legs, feeling the slight breeze from the ceiling fan between her thighs, it was a nice sensation. She looked down at her panties, the white lace took on an orange-ish hue from the streetlamp outside. The silky little bows sitting on each hip looked inky and black, though their true color was more of a deep navy blue.

Kate had a secret collection of beautiful underwear. She hadn't even realized that she liked pretty panties like this, always wearing the same basic cotton since childhood. One day, only a month or so after the escape from the Titty Twister, she was wandering through a marketplace. They had stopped to pick up some provisions, each of them with a different list of necessities and some cash. She was walking past one stall that had a few hard worn mannequins clad in lingerie, the sheer lacy materials, ruffles, and silky jewel tone fabrics caught her eye. She found herself backtracking, looking intently upon a particular pair made entirely of creamy white lace. She picked them up and ran her fingers over the tiny dark blue bows, they were a silky, shiny satin. She wondered what they would feel like against her skin, like a secret just for her. There was no way she could ask the Gecko brothers to buy her a pair of panties, and she had already spent her money on things that she actually needed. That day Kate crossed over into the criminal world and committed her first illegal act. She peered about to see if anyone was was looking at her then she stuffed the panties into her pocket. Since that day she had been shoplifting beautiful underwear whenever she saw a pair that caught her eye, her collection made a sizable bulge in her bag.

Now she lay in the dark, admiring the very same pair of stolen underwear that had started her crime spree. She scratched her nails lazily over the fabric, enjoying the way they scraped over the lace. Then she began rubbing her finger over her clit through the panties, her back arched with pleasure.

"Unnnnhhhh....." Kate paused, peering across the room at Seth as he started moaning in his sleep, a low sound deep in his throat. Kate quietly studied him in the dim light coming through the window. Her eye took in the angles of his face, settling on his full mouth, his lips quivered for a moment then parted slightly as another low moan escaped him. As he moaned his hips hitched forward slightly. He started to mumble and one of his hands jerked and flopped down near his crotch. Kate followed the hand with her eyes and saw the fabric of his pants starting to swell. She moved her hands down to tug her panties tight against her slit, wondering who he was dreaming about. Richie was still snuggled up to him, snoring softly.

"Mmmm.....baby that's good....." His hips hitched forward again and his hand slid closer to the the bulge that was straining the front of his pants, a small dark spot formed leaking through. Kate bit her bottom lip, she kept one hand pulling the panties tight on her while the other she used to run her fingers across her hole, teasing herself as she slipped one in and out of the fabric stretched tightly across her pussy. Another moan escaped Seth and she couldn't wait any longer, she slid two fingers down to her pussy and slicked them back up, the wetness making her fingers slide easily on her clit. She inserted one finger just inside her opening and began to work herself toward a climax.

"Oh yeahhhh....." Seth groaned the words lightly in his sleep, "I want that too Katie...." two things happened the moment Kate's name left Seth's tongue.

Kate's hands froze, she lay completely still listening to the sound of Seth's breathing, which had become something more of a pant. Kate had always known that Seth liked looking at her, but he kept a distance between them, keeping up a father act that was none too credible. Now here he was moaning her name and trying to get a hand on himself in his drunken dream state. Kate was extremely turned on at the thought of Seth having a sex dream about her.

At that same moment Richie's eyes popped open. He shook Seth awake and leaned in to whisper in his ear. Seth grumbled at Richie for waking him up and rolled over, about to slide back into his dream. His eyes went wide as they caught sight of Kate, still frozen like a deer caught in the headlights, with her hands still buried in her panties. She wanted to squeeze her eyes shut and squeal in embarrassment but she was too mortified to move. Seth had become so still Kate wasn't even sure that he was still breathing.

There was a sudden scrabbling noise and a small clatter behind Seth, Richie was cursing and trying to get ahold of his glasses, which was proving to be a difficult task judging from the tiny racket that he was making. Kate used the moment to cover herself with a sheet, pulling it up to her chin and trying not to die from embarrassment. Seth swallowed thickly, his eyes still locked on Kate like he was sure of what he wanted to do but he was holding himself back from doing it.

"Shit." There was a tiny _thunk_ as Richie knocked his glasses to the floor. He leaned over and whispered to his brother again. Seth took the moment to break his eyes from her and looked over at his brother.

"Really Richie?" She heard Seth whisper, he groaned rolling off the bed and padded around to the other side. He disappeared behind the bed, getting down on all fours. He was down there for a minute or two whispering curses at Richie, when he finally got back up he had his brother's glasses in his hand. He unfolded them and placed them on Richie's face.

"Richie, I can't go back to sleep now. Wanna go have a smoke outside?" They quietly slipped from the room, Seth never once looking over at Kate's bed.

Kate lay awake for over an hour before her eyes finally slid closed, she was fast asleep by the time they returned. Richie stripped back down and crawled into bed, he removed his glasses and took care to leave them in a convenient spot. Before getting into bed Seth crept across the room and stood looking down at Kate in the dim light. Her hands were wrapped around the tiny cross she wore at her neck, she looked like she was praying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone that's ever been with a person that needs glasses you know the struggle is real. If you've ever been awoken by the sound of a hand thumping the nightstand or a tiny clatter in the night. If you've ever lay snickering in the dark as your loved one curses while trying to retrieve their spectacles from the floor, this chapter is dedicated to you.


	6. "Shitfaced drunk has always worked for my problems."

Kate stood looking down at Richie, he was laying with his back to Seth, and Seth was, well, spooning him. She shook him lightly and whispered in his ear, _"Richie."_ No response. _"Richie."_ She shook him again, trying carefully not to wake Seth. Nothing. On a whim she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, _"Rise and shine Richard Gecko."_ He smiled but his eyes remained closed and he didn't move a muscle. "Richie come on. I want you to take me shopping today." she said quietly. No movement. _"Please Richie, I need to get out of this motel room."_ Finally he moved, his hand came up, tapping a finger on his cheek where she had kissed him. Kate snickered quietly and planted another kiss on his cheek and with that he was moving. He stretched in the bed and then shooed her out of the way so he could get up.

"You want me to take you shopping?" he said softly, letting his brother sleep in.

"Yes. I need some new clothes, it's too hot for a lot of my stuff. I honestly don't know how you can walk around wearing that shirt buttoned all the way up and Seth, with that suit jacket. It makes me sweat thinking about it. Besides, can you honestly tell me that you wouldn't like the opportunity to dress me." Kate tried not to stare as Richie stretched again, his boxers riding dangerously low on his hips.

"I get to dress you?" He said his face lighting up.

"A couple of outfits Richard Gecko," She swallowed, Richie had no sense of personal space and he was looming over her, "within reason, I get final say!" Kate said a little too loudly. Seth stirred on the bed next to them then rolled over, muttering in his sleep.

An hour later they were riding in the car, eating sausage and egg breakfast sandwiches and drinking shitty convenience store coffee. They left a sandwich and a cup of black coffee for Seth, with a note on top. He had begun snoring while Richie was writing the note.

Kate had her music plugged into the stereo and was singing at the top of her lungs. Was it childish? Well, yes, but she didn't care, she loved singing in the car. She felt comfortable enough with just Richie there, and she was feeling all giddy at being on a mini roadtrip. Richie was so pleased to see her in a good mood that he simply drove, enjoying her company. She smiled as the hauntingly beautiful melody of "Creep" came over the speakers. Leaning in toward Richie she began serenading him, singing along like a silly teenager. As the chorus wound up Richie astonished her by belting out the words! They looked at each other and smiled widely as they sang at the top of their lungs,

"I wish I was special, you're so fuckin' special. But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo, what the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here."

As they drove down the street looking for a parking spot Kate peered at the different shops lining the street. She could see why Richie had driven them so far to take her shopping in this town, there were a lot of stores with a nice selection of clothing. He parked the car on the street and slid from the driver's seat, coming around to open her door, he held out his hand to help her out.

They strolled down the street, Kate on Richie's arm as they perused the selection of storefronts through the windows. Kate stopped in front of a store displaying a particularly feminine selection of clothing, sundress clad mannequins with large floppy hats and stylish purses hanging from their wrists. They walked in, blinking their eyes as they adjusted to the lighting. She wandered through the store, occasionally making a selection and draping it over her shoulder. Richie watched her as she fingered the fabrics, enjoying the different textures. As he followed her through the store he picked out a couple of dresses that he wanted her to try on, one of them he held up to himself, swinging back and forth slightly so that the pink material swished with his movements. He arched an eyebrow at Kate and she grabbed the dress from him and added to her pile, giggling.

She put a lot of things back, but she ended up buying everything that Richie picked for her.

Seth was up when they got back to the motel, he was sitting in the only chair in the room reading what appeared to be some sort of manual. He looked up as Kate walked in wearing one of the selections that his brother had made, a short, pale rose colored sundress and very provocative high wedge sandals. His eyes fluttered closed for a moment and his nostrils flared as he watched her step through the door. His eyes widened when his line of sight hit those heels, and he bit his lip when he took in the shortness of the pink fabric as it swirled high on her thighs. His gaze lingered on the small swell of cleavage just peeking out from the sweetheart top of her dress. When Kate saw where his eyes had landed she inhaled deeply. He broke his stare and buried his face in his book, Kate saw now that it was a parts manual for a car. Richie always gave him shit about not applying himself but Seth did like to keep his skill set sharp, if the subject was of any interest to him.

When Richie slid in the door behind Kate with his arms full of bags Seth looked up at his brother, clearly irritated.

"Well, it looks like you two had a good time. I don't remember telling you that you could go blowing our money on your little game of dress up." He ground his teeth as he looked at Richie, very carefully keeping his eyes from drifting toward Kate. Richie snickered and looked at his brother arrogantly.

"For fuck sake Seth, you've made it perfectly plain that you call the shots, but I think you're overstepping on this one." He grinned and placed a hand casually on Kate's shoulder, rubbing with his thumb. "If you don't like the way I've got her dressed then maybe you should take her shopping next time." She shoved Richard's hand off her shoulder, shooting him a furious look. The way that they were speaking about her, like she was a child, was wearing on her nerves. She cut in before Richie could really begin to sink his teeth in trying to annoy Seth.

" _I_ needed some new clothes so _I_ asked Richie to take me shopping. I don't see what the problem is here." She crossed her arms beneath her breasts and Seth expelled a breath as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Alright, you needed some clothes, fine. I just, ahhh, well. Don't you think that outfit is..... a bit much for a teenage girl to be wearing, uh, in a general sense?" He winced when he saw her eyes narrow at his remark.

"Well yes, Seth. Maybe it is a bit much for a _teenage girl_." Kate snapped, "I think this is exactly the type of outfit that an _ADULT WOMAN_ would wear. So I will continue to wear it, and you can keep your misguided opinions to yourself!" She glared a hole through him. Richard and Seth shared a bewildered look.

"Damnit! Sometimes you two are so dense. It's my fucking birthday today jackasses." The fact that she was cussing was a testament to how pissed off Kate Fuller was with Richard and Seth Gecko.

"Oh shit Katie, why didn't you say something? We could've gone bowling, gotten you a cupcake or something." Seth smiled weakly, trying to break the mood.

She spoke again, her voice sounding small, "My family would come into my room at five o'clock in the morning every year and sing 'Happy Birthday'." Her shoulders slumped forward and she grew quieter as she went on, "Last year when my father dragged Scott into my room to sing, before the sun had even come up, I got so angry. I was furious that they were carrying on the tradition that my parents had started together, after mom was dead and gone." A tear slid from the corner of her eye. "I spent my last birthday with my father and brother locked alone in my room, crying like an ungrateful little brat." Her voice broke and more tears came, falling down her cheeks. "Now my both of my parents are dead and my brother might as well be. Do you really think I want celebrate my birthday? Do you really think I want to celebrate it with either of you?" Kate pushed past Richie and left the motel room, furiously wiping tears from her face.

Richie turned to go after her but Seth rose from his chair and grabbed his arm, he shoved past his younger brother and stepped through the door.

He found Kate sitting in a plastic chair by the motel pool. She was hunched forward with her face in her hands, heaving hard, heavy sobs. Seth sat himself across from her and tried to pull her in to his chest for a hug, Kate batted at him and pushed him away as she wept. He made another attempt, trying to wrap her in his thick arms. His eyes bulged as Kate's tiny fist connected with his jaw with all of her weight behind it, he fell backward, bringing his flimsy pool chair down with him. His head cracked on the cement and he saw stars! Suddenly Kate's face was floating in his vision, "Oh shit Seth! I can't believe that just happened!" She began raining tears down onto his cheeks as he sat there blinking.

"Aw hell Princess," he said rubbing his jaw, "if I had known you had a right hook like that I'd have been hustlin' fistfights at the bar instead of pool games." He smiled jovially at her, she just stared back blankly, tears sliding down her face.

Seth pushed himself up and retrieved his chair from the ground, seating himself, again. "Shit, I'm no good with this kind of situation, I don't know what to say Kate, I just don't know." He reached over again and clenched his arm around her, pulling her into him with an iron grip. Kate melted against him, she buried her face in his chest and released a keening wail that was painful but felt good to let go of. They sat like that for a while, Seth with his arm around her while she heaved and sobbed, soaking his shirt with snot and tears.

Kate cried herself out. There were no more tears coming, just the painful hitch of her ribs as she continued to sob convulsively.

"Hey Katie, I've got an idea. I know that I'm a terrible fuckup, and that I don't know how to talk about shit like this, but I do know how to make it better. Let's go out and get shitfaced drunk. I promise, we won't celebrate, we won't even say 'Hey it's her birthday!' to everyone at the bar, and we definitely won't sing." He squeezed her tight against his side, stroking her silky hair back from her face. "What do you say, Princess, you want to go out and get cocked? Shitfaced drunk has always worked for my problems."


	7. Just a tiny taste of that sweet, hot, cherry pie.

The sun was setting as Kate walked into a bar flanked by the Gecko brothers. Richie had his hand on her back possessively, Seth kept his distance while he stared down every man in the bar that dared to glance her way. One dirty old man didn't get the message, he was too busy leering at her in her short pink sundress as he slid he tongue in and out of a gap where his front teeth were missing. Seth moved so that he was blocking her from view and glared brown eyed murder at the man who promptly looked down and buried his face in his beer.

Kate chose a table close to the wall, it looked a little less grimy than others and there wasn't anyone sitting nearby. Unknown bits of debris crunched under her shoes as she walked across the floor. She sat, back straight, with her legs crossed so that one of her feet was swinging in the air. Seth followed after her and Richie strolled off toward the bar. As Seth took a seat across the table from Kate he began to ramble, as he is so inclined to do in any and every situation. She was grateful as she sat in silence, she didn't want to talk. She let his words wash over her and sent a tiny prayer up to God, thanking the Lord for the elder brother's delight in hearing his own voice.

"So this one time Richie and I," Seth began winding up, "were were doing this armored truck job. Uncle Eddie had a guy that tipped him off about jobs, for a cut. We were just starting out, and in this business when you're just starting out you end up paying a lot of people a lot of money while you do all the work. Basically you get fucked." He made a motion like he was jerking off. "This particular truck was hauling casino money, they were gonna' use it to stock up the ATMs for the weekend gamblers. Uncle Eddie had another guy that could make a fake identity that would stand up to a basic background check, that guy gets a cut too." He raised his eyebrows at that, gesturing emphatically. "So Richie posed as a security guy, workin' the truck. He actually worked there for a whole fuckin' week, you should've seen him, all dressed up in his uniform, pulling the whole nine-to-five business." Seth chuckled.

Richie wandered over from the bar with a bottle of whisky tucked under his arm and three shot glasses balanced in his hand. He set everything on the table, the little shot glasses tinkling together. Kate was relieved to see that he also had a glass of soda, thank goodness. If they were drinking straight up whisky she was most definitely going to need something to chase it with. Richie didn't say a word, he simply pulled up a seat next to his brother and poured the amber liquid into the shot glasses, sliding one over to Kate along with the soda. He set one down at his brother's elbow. Seth ignored his shot, still talking, so they waited on him to start drinking.

"Richie waits until the other security guys working the truck go inside to stock up the ATMs and he drives off with the rest of the cash, that was the plan. I was waiting for him a couple of blocks over with a getaway car." Seth reached over and snagged a swig of Kate's soda, wetting his throat. "So he pulls up in the truck and he gets out and says, 'Uh, Seth, there's a little complication.' I'm getting antsy, we need to get this cash loaded up and hit the road. Before Richie even tells me what's going on I can hear yelling coming from the back of the truck. Apparently Richie couldn't shake one of the security guys so he locked him in the back of the fuckin' truck to avoid making a scene. Only this prodigal fuckin' genius shoved him in there so fast that he didn't even grab the guy's gun!" Seth laughed, clapping Richie on the shoulder. "The clock is ticking down on our chance for a clean getaway and there's this guy with a gun standing between us and our payday. We get ourselves geared up, Richie gets ready to pop the door and I'm lined up, piss my pants scared, getting ready to drop this guy. The door opens and he's kneeling, waving his hands in the air, 'Don't shoot, don't shoot!'" Seth raised his hands up in an impression, chuckling. "So I climb up in to get this guy and he starts going on about his girlfriend, he says, 'Please just take the fuckin' money, I just wanna live. Please, I just started dating this girl and she's so damn hot. She's the hottest girlfriend I've ever had! I've had a lot of time to think in the back of this truck and I know I can't die before I even get to see her naked!" Richie and Seth began whooping with laughter, Seth swiped a tear from the corner of his eye. Kate's face broke into a smile watching the two of them. "What could I do? I let the poor bastard go, I'm not that much of a heartless sonofabitch!" Finally, Seth grabbed his shot and raised it up, Richie and Kate did the same. "Here's to getting rich and fat, and dying in the arms of a beautiful woman."

They all downed their shots, Kate held her breath until she had chased hers with soda, though she still coughed a bit at the burn of the whisky.

Richie and Seth respected her obvious wish to be left alone and talked closely between themselves on the other side of the table. Kate poured herself another shot, and another, taking Seth's fatherly advice, "Shitfaced drunk works for my problems." She kept drinking like that until the room began tilting the wrong way. When Seth looked over and saw her weaving in her chair he decided to call it a night.

Richie hauled her up from her seat and steered her through the bar, Seth pulled the car up in front and Richie plunked her into the back seat, she passed out on the way back to the motel. 

A couple of hours later Kate woke from a nightmare so terribly frightening it pulled her from her blackout drunken state, those gruesome memories of the Twister were a part of her life that would never leave her at peace. Her eyes snapped open and her mouth was stretched wide in a silent scream. She was covered in a slick of sweat that stank like stale alcohol, her hair clung to the sides of her face and her t-shirt was soaked through. She was wearing a t-shirt now? Huh. Kate looked over to the bed where Seth and Richie slept and panicked, it was empty! Her heart rate began to go into overdrive, her breath coming quick and fast, she was terrified and alone. Then she saw the light.

The bathroom light was on and it was streaming through a large gap where the door hadn't been closed all the way. It made a spotlight on the brother's bed, the side where Seth belonged.

Kate's curiosity got the best of her, she slipped out of her bed and crept across the floor, her feet light on the carpet. She slid into the brother's bed, crawling quickly past the patch of light shining on Seth's side. Now she could see into the bathroom and her efforts did not go unrewarded.

Richie's bare back was pressed up against the tile of the far wall, he was facing toward the open door, his stare directed intently on his brother who was kneeling before him. Kate watched the back of Seth's head as it moved up and down in a steady rhythm. Seth was giving Richard a very thorough, very enthusiastic blow job!

Kate watched intently, studying the way that Seth turned his head as he dragged his mouth up Richie's penis. One of Seth's hands was moving in Richie's crotch, rubbing his balls and running his fingers back behind them, the other gripped his thigh tightly, leaving angry red finger marks. Kate was completely enthralled as she took a position on Richie's side of the bed with her face toward the bathroom, laying stomach down with her hand trapped beneath her, pressing it into the mattress with her groin. Her satiny pink panties stretched tight across her pussy.

In the bathroom Richie began making soft groaning noises. Seth's hand suddenly flew up from Richie's thigh to circle his mouth, pressing in on the bottom lip as he inserted two of his fingers. Richie responded by first licking each finger up and down and in between, then he began to suck on them and Seth moaned, a sound muffled by Richie's cock. The vibration of Seth's moan traveled visibly up the younger Gecko's body, a shudder ran from his groin to his face. Richie squeezed his eyes shut and raked a hand through his hair, pieces of it fell back down, dangling on his forehead. His horn rimmed glasses were sliding down his nose but he left them as he grasped two handfuls of Seth's silky hair. He still had Seth's fingers in his mouth and he sucked them in the same rhythm that his brother was using on his dick. Seth slid his fingers slowly out of Richie's mouth and as they came away he left them slick and dripping with spit. Kate's mouth dropped open in a silent gasp as she watched Seth move the hand that had been in his brother's mouth and snaked it around behind him, the muscles on his arm rippled as he began to work Richie's ass with saliva covered fingers. His tattoo stood out stark and black in the harsh fluorescent light, the flame pattern undulating with his movements, Kate wasn't the kind of girl who liked tattoos, but watching it in action right now had her wound up tight. She added another finger to the one she already had up inside herself and began to roll her hips. She fucked her fingers, keeping time with each thrust of Seth's hand in Richie's ass, his head bobbing up and down in the same rhythm.

Richie looked out into the dark bedroom, directly at the spot where Kate was hidden in the shadows while he writhed in pleasure as his brother sucked him and fucked him. Kate lay still. He couldn't possibly see her with all the light in the bathroom and her laying in the dark, but he was looking directly at her. He smirked like he knew that she was watching and he knew what her hands were doing. Realization slowly crept into Kate's mind, Richie had left the door cracked open! He was enjoying her watching them together. Just then Richie cried out at a particularly strong thrust from Seth's hand.

"Seth," Richie panted, his breath coming in gasps, "I, ahhhh, I can't last much longer. I'm ready, I need you _right fucking now."_

With that Seth rose smoothly from his place on the floor and wrapped Richie in a passionate, definitely unbrotherly embrace. He kissed Richie, pumping his tongue into his mouth and the sounds he was making made Kate think that Richie must be the most delicious thing a person could taste.

Her eyes wide in fascination Kate began rubbing her clit against her palm while she ran her fingers in and out of her pussy, humping her hips into the mattress as she watched the brothers. Seth released Richie then quickly spun him around, pushing him so that he was now bent over the sink to one side of the bathroom. Her eyes traced every line of their profiles, Richie's lithe form braced against the sink, Seth's darker, heavily muscled frame lining up behind him. Kate bit her bottom lip to keep the low, soft whimper that was building in the back of her throat from escaping as she ground her pussy into her hand and the mattress and watched the brothers hungrily.

Seth leaned in over his brother for a moment, grabbing a condom and a bottle of clear gel from the bathroom counter, as he was leaning over his chest pressed up on his brothers back and he had his hard on crushed firmly into his ass cheek. He remained like that for a moment grinding his rock solid dick into Richie before standing straight. The cavalier manner in which he tore open the condom with his mouth and spat the wrapper on the floor while he rolled the rubber down his dick was an odd turn on for Kate. Seth slid a handful of the gel, clear and glistening up the length of his cock, stroking himself slowly as he pressed the tip of his penis to the tight ring of Richie's ass hole. Richie licked his lips and watched his brother in the mirror. Seth slowly slid his length into his brother, he exhaled sharply through clenched teeth once he was fully inside. Kate swallowed thickly at the sight of Seth's cock slowly pulling back and then disappearing into his brother. After a few slow pumps Seth grasped Richie's hips firmly in his hands and began to pick up his pace, the muscles of his backside flexing and clenching as he pushed himself even deeper into Richie. Kate's mouth watered as she gazed upon that perfect, gorgeous ass, she wanted to put her hands on it, grab it, lick it, bite it, the desire almost overcame her and she found that she was moving off the bed before she realized what she was doing. She quietly cursed herself and resumed her previous position, grinding down on her hand.

"Seth look at me, let me see those gorgeous brown eyes. Yeah, that's it. Look at us in the mirror," Richie bit his lower lip, "we look so fucking good together." Richie had his hand around his cock and he was pumping it in time with Seth's grinding hips.

"Fuck Richie. Oh fuck Richie, oh fuck Richie, fuck......" Seth's voice began to go hoarse as he kept his mouth running in a litany of curses and his brother's name. Kate couldn't handle it, to see them fucking like this, and hearing them call each other's names sent her over the edge. She ground her hips forward violently against her hand and she had to bury her face in the mattress to hide her scream as she came, a warm rush of fluid leaked through the silk of her panties, soaking into a puddle on the mattress beneath her. She looked up in time to see Seth thrust forward forcefully into the younger Gecko, he brought his fist to his mouth and bit down hard to hold in the sound as he cried out. A moment later Richie gasped as a thick stream of cum came spurting out of his dick, falling over his hand and dripping down the countertop onto the floor.

Kate panicked as she realized that they were finished and she was still in their bed! She slid out of the bed as quietly as she could and crept across the floor, staying low and keeping her steps light. She got to her bed and nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Seth curse softly.

"Richie, you need to be more careful man, we don't want to wake the Princess." He whispered to his brother. The light flicked off and Kate could hear their heavy breathing as they spent a few more minutes kissing in the doorway. She slowly, and very carefully slid into her bed, sending up a silent prayer that they were too busy with one another to notice. Then she heard them pad across the carpet, she knew Richie was going sit in the bedraggled motel room chair to smoke and she smirked when she heard the click of a lighter. Seth settled down in his bed with a sigh, Kate was too afraid to move until, after a short time he began to snore softly.

Richie finished his cigarette, Kate was pretty sure he must have had two. She was still feigning sleep, more trying to convince herself than Richie that she was asleep. Richie slid soundlessly into bed next to Seth, settling down when suddenly he sat up, turning himself around he ran his hands lower down the bed. She gulped as she realized he must have felt the damp spot she had left when she came, she squeezed her eyes closed tightly as embarrassment heated her whole body. Kate could hear the sound of his hand rubbing over the wetness on the sheet, she listened as he inhaled deeply with his face pressed into the bed. Then she heard a sucking sound.

After a few moments Richie crawled back up the bed to settle down next to his brother.

 _"Kaaaaate."_ He called to her in a soft voice, Kate kept her eyes shut tight. _"Katie-Cakes_ you taste delicious." Kate didn't respond, still feigning sleep.

Richie snickered in the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That probably went in an entirely different direction than expected.
> 
> My favorite kind of people are the ones that like to spin a good yarn. This chapter is dedicated to all of those kindred spirits who like to ramble, imbuing your story with detail and emotion, and use expression and body language to its greatest effect.


	8. Rabbit, Rabbit

Kate woke to the smell of breakfast burritos permeating the air. She tumbled out of bed and lunged across the floor, dodging past Richie who was heading into the bathroom. She shoved him out of the way and slammed the door. Her eyes watered and her nostrils burned as she somehow puked so hard that the bilious mixture leaked from her nose as it spewed forth from her mouth, her ears were ringing with the effort. The room was spinning like she was on some kind of hellish merry-go-round and her head felt like there were knives driving into her temples. Squeezing her eyes shut she cursed herself for drinking so much. She spent the entire morning with her face resting on the disgusting toilet seat, heaving.

That afternoon Kate found herself sitting across a table from Richie, wrinkling her nose in disgust as she stared at the drink in front of her. "So _this_ drink is supposed to be your magical hangover cure? What's in it?" They were at a little taqueria down the road from the motel, Seth opted not to come, he had been in the middle of a sweaty, grueling workout. He was doing pull-ups on the bathroom door when they left.

She kept trying to find ways to avoid looking at Richie directly. She knew he wanted her to ask him about last night but she couldn't even think about it without her face blazing crimson. He sat there patiently, enjoying himself. She was certain that Richie derived some sort of sick pleasure from seeing her squirm, every time she felt another wave of embarrassment coloring her face he would chortle quietly.

"Oh come on Kate, it's a Bloody Mary! I even had them make it the way I like mine; tomato juice and vodka, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, some horseradish, black pepper, a squeezed lemon and lime, with olives and a celery stalk, though some pickled okra would've made it perfect." Each ingredient he listed made her stomach churn. "Just try it." He gave her a level look and she screwed her face up at him. "Okay, so about last night-"

"For fuck's sake Richie I'll drink the damn thing." She took a sip and was smitten. Who knew that a combination like that could turn into such a magical concoction? Well, Richie knew.

Thinking to distract him from bringing up the previous night she asked him to begin teaching her how to lead a life of crime as he had promised. Two hours and three watered down Bloody Marys later Kate regretted her decision bitterly. She dragged her finger through the condensation pooling at the bottom of her glass, tracing a pattern of scrolls on the tabletop as Richie extolled the finer points of safecracking. She would have never guessed that being a professional criminal could be so boring.

"I still don't understand why I need to know all the names of the parts now if you said I'm not going to be ready for _years_." Kate rolled her eyes at him, frustrated.

"Well then why don't I just teach you how to break into a safe with a fucking drill like Seth does? Huh Kate? Would you like that?" Richie was quite perturbed. He snatched his pack of cigarettes from the table top and slid one loose.

"Yes."

Kate was hoping that her short answer would get him to stop quizzing her on the components of a combination lock. She grabbed his plastic lighter and lit the cigarette for him, knowing that he secretly enjoyed when she did little things like that for him.

He inhaled deeply and expelled a cloud of smoke with an air of irritation. "It has no finesse." He shook his head, a pained expression on his face. "Besides, if there's an alarm on that safe you run the risk of setting it off, even if you do know what you're doing." His brow furrowed in disgust.

"I guess that's why you need to teach me how to fight my way out of a situation too. Did Seth tell you that I punched him in the face?" Kate smiled at Richie, trying to get him off the subject of safes. He chuckled and tapped the ash from the tip of his cigarette onto the floor.

"Just tell me what the parts are."

"Oh Richie, come on."

\--

They got back to their room just as Seth was coming out the door. He was stripped to the waist and the sight of his bare chest in the sunlight made Kate feel a bit light headed. Or was that the Bloody Marys? She stood there, leering at him and biting her bottom lip as she thought about last night, how he was pressed up against Richie. She shook herself as she realized he was speaking to her and tore her eyes from ogling the muscular expanse of his chest, trying to pay attention to what he was saying. 

".....to the pool. I'm just going to swim some laps, I didn't know if you wanted me to wait for you." He arched an eyebrow at her.

"Uh, no, I don't really feel like a swim right now. Thanks though."

"Okay, see you later." And with that he swaggered off, Kate watched the curve of his ass in his swimming shorts as he walked away.

"Well," Kate jumped as Richie spoke, grinning at her mercilessly. "I have an errand to run, I'll be back in a bit. Looks like you've got the room all to yourself Princess."

Kate decided to spend her time wisely and take a nap. She was tired from jumping out of her skin thinking about the Gecko brother's special relationship all day.

\--

She woke as Richie shook her gently. She batted him away in irritation and rolled over. The mattress dipped as he climbed into the bed beside her and leaned over. His lips brushed her cheek, "Rise and shine Kate Fuller." he whispered in her ear. Irritation gave way to sweet giddiness, she rolled over onto her back and held out her hands, Richie grasped them and pulled her so that she was sitting up next to him. Kate rubbed her eyes and blinked as she scanned the room, it was dark outside and Seth was missing.

"Seth isn't back from the pool yet?" she knew he took physical fitness seriously but that was excessive. Richie chuckled and leaned toward her, tucking a strand of hair back from her face, the cool feeling of his fingertips brushing her forehead sent a little shiver through Kate.

"He left to get dinner, we didn't want to wake you." Richie held up a small bag, "I have something for you." Kate looked at him, puzzled. He just shook the bag, impatient for her to look inside.

"That had better not be a birthday present, Richard Gecko. I told you, I'm not celebrating." She peered at him, the barely contained excitement in his eyes made her nervous.

"Oh it's a present Katie-Cakes, but it's after your birthday. Not a birthday present." He gestured for her to look inside.

She took a peek then dumped the contents onto the bed. A small, glossy, black cardboard box tumbled out. She couldn't tell what it was, the writing printed across it was all in another language, not Spanish, something European. She slid a purple lacquered nail through the sticky dot sealing the box and hitched a finger underneath the cardboard flap to pull it open. Plastic wrapping crinkled as she pulled it out to view the contents.

It was a round, powder pink egg, there was a little rabbit head on the top with cute little ears that stood up straight. There was also a pink storage bag and a small wireless remote in a matching color, it had a little slide switch on the side and a panel of buttons. She slipped the egg from its plastic wrapping, it had a smooth rubbery feel to it but was also very soft, the texture surprised her as she rubbed her finger around the side.

"Richard, what is this?" She had an idea but wasn't at all sure.

He smiled at her and flipped the switch on the remote, as the little egg began vibrating in her hand it emitted a faint buzzing sound. She held it up to her face in fascination as she watched the little bunny ears oscillating. Kate noticed Richie watching her as she studied the egg, there was color rising in his cheeks and he was biting his lower lip. She found herself gravitating toward him. He plucked the egg from her with his long fingers and brought it to her mouth, gently running the tip of the rabbit ears along her lips. She gasped as a wave of pleasure ran through her at the sensation. Her tongue darted from her mouth to feel the tip of those little ears and Richie leaned in closer, staring at her mouth hungrily. As his face became dangerously close to hers she suddenly panicked and shook herself as she came back to awareness. She backed away, pushing Richie's hands and knocking the vibrator onto the bed, it buzzed against the mattress. She was breathing heavily and he backed off, raking a hand through his hair.

"Why would you give me something like this Richie? Don't you think it's a bit inappropriate?" She actually really wanted the present but she wasn't sure how she felt about Richie knowing she had it.

"You want to talk about inappropriate?" he grinned at her mischievously, "Oh Katie I thought you'd never ask."

"NO, no Richie. Let's not go there right now, please."

"I happen to think it's completely appropriate for the situation Kate. I know it's been tense, all of us sharing a room, I just figured this would help relieve some of the tension for you." He winked at her as he flipped the switch off and placed the egg along with the remote into the little zippered bag. Opening her nightstand drawer he nestled the toy in next to the motel room bible.

\--

Seth returned after what seemed like an eternity. After not having eaten all day, unless you counted a couple of Bloody Mary soaked olives and some celery, Kate's stomach rumbled at the sight of big, greasy burgers and salty, golden, thick cut french fries. After they finished up Seth took Kate aside. He had their extensive armory laid out on her bed, she spotted the sawed off shotgun she had pilfered from their latest convenience store holdup and a grin spread across her face fondly.

"Okay baby girl, Richie told me he started teaching you about cracking safes today and I know how thrilling that can be. I figured it was my turn to educate you."

He let her select a gun from the collection to start with, she picked up his revolver hefting it, she liked the weight in her hand. "The first thing you need to do is check to see whether or not your gun is loaded. I don't care if I hand it to you and tell you that it is, I want to see you checking every time." He showed her how to press the latch that released the cylinder and flipped it out, revealing the empty chambers. "That could be the difference between you coming out on top or dropping dead. You don't want to go raising your gun to somebody that's pulled on you only to hear a click cause you've got no round in the chamber. Likewise, you don't want to go fooling with a gun you think is empty and go shooting your face off like some jackass amateur."

Seth took her education quite seriously, he showed her how to load the revolver and cock the hammer back, giving her a few tips on hand placement and different loading methods."Never, _never_ point your gun at somebody that you're not going to shoot, and keep your finger on the side of the guard, off the trigger. Once your finger hits that trigger you better be aiming to shoot like you mean it." He looked her in the eye, making sure she understood the import of that statement, Kate nodded vigorously. There was something very attractive about the way he taught her, taking the time to show her every little part of the gun and patiently answering any questions she had in a way that she could understand.

"Richie, bring me your Taurus." Seth called to his brother from across the room, Richie looked up from his spot on the bed where he was reading and expelled a breath, loudly. He placed a slim finger in between the pages of his book and rose from the bed, sliding a hand beneath his pillow he retrieved the gun he had stashed there. Placing the weapon in his brother's hand he retreated to his place on the bed, to continue his reading. Seth showed Kate how to load rounds into the magazine and slide it back into the pistol, slamming it in aggressively then had her load and unload the gun a few times. He spent some time pointing out the similarities and differences between Richie's pistol and his revolver.

"So Richie's gun has more bullets in it because it uses a magazine? Isn't that better because you won't have to reload it as much?" she was getting frustrated as she tried to slide the bullets into the magazine, the spring in the bottom that pushed rounds up to feed them into the gun's chamber was resisting her attempts to push the bullets down in and they kept popping out of her hands.

"Well I guess that depends on how good of a shot you are sweetheart," he flashed her a rakish smile, "and if you can't even get rounds in the magazine then I guess you're pretty much screwed." He chuckled as he watched her struggle, another bullet popped from between her fingers to land on the floor, rolling under the bed. He enveloped her small hands in his and guided her fingers, showing her how to push the bullets in, back end first. Her body leaned toward his involuntarily, the grip of his strong hands was enticing. "Besides, in our line of work you don't really wan't to be dropping casings all over the place, that's leaving evidence for the cops to trace back to your gun. A revolver keeps your brass, nice and neat, so you can take it with you." His voice was all business as he instructed her but while he spoke his body had a mind of it's own. His thumbs began slowly caressing her hands, the magazine still caught between them and he kept moving in closer. "Kind of a moot point when you're a wanted man... I do like the action on a revolver........the recoil is more of a roll back..." He was rambling, Kate felt heat rising in her as she gazed into his brown eyes, inches from her own. When had he stopped talking? She could feel his breath on her mouth, hot and slow as he pushed his lips against hers softly. She watched as his eyes rolled up the lids fluttering closed. Her breath quickened and she let her eyes slide closed, just enjoying the feeling of his soft lips pressed to hers as he breathed heavily. His hands had hers gripped tightly around the forgotten magazine. Kate leaned toward him, wanting more, needing to feel his body pressed against hers, suddenly he broke away and stepped back looking at his hands gripping hers. He released her and took another step back, looking lost.

"Well I think that's enough for today Princess. We'll get up early tomorrow and do some target practice," he rolled his head to the side, rubbing his neck, "you should probably get to bed, it's getting late." With that he turned abruptly and walked away, slipping out the motel room door without another word.


	9. "You're just out lookin' for trouble."

"Fuck it, just leave the bottle compadre." the old geezer tending bar looked a bit annoyed as he set the bottle of amber liquid on the bar top next to a rocks glass. He slipped his hand inside his jacket to retrieve his money clip and peeled off a few bills then tossed them on the bar. The wizened old man snatched the money with fingers that looked painfully warped and crooked by age then turned his attention to another customer a few stools down.

Seth poured himself a drink and took a sip, the whisky felt good going down. What the fuck was he thinking, kissing her? What kind of pervy asshole jumps on a teenage girl? Well, a just turned eighteen year old girl, if that made it any fucking better. He took another pull of his drink and slammed his glass down in frustration. A couple of bar patrons glanced his way but he ignored them, caught up in his own thoughts. He kept thinking back to the other night, when he had accidentally caught Kate masturbating. The look of want in her eyes had made him crazy. Or was it a look of complete fear and he was just crazy? This must have been how Richie felt when that evil snake-bitch had been fucking with his head, not the evil snake-bitch part, but not knowing reality from delusion.

Richie would tell him to just go with it, the closest thing his brother had to a moral compass was a strong regard for what Seth thought about his actions. Richie had been the one to initiate everything between them because he just didn't give a fuck about anything other than what he wanted. He was a complete sociopath. Seth wan't ever ashamed by their relationship, he just didn't want anyone knowing his fucking business. He thought back to the first time he and Richie had admitted to each other what they really felt.

They were teenagers then, living with their Uncle Eddie. Seth had woken up from a nightmare in which his father was beating him mercilessly while engulfed in flames. Laying in bed sweating and shaking in the dark he tried to calm himself. Richie must have heard him cry out from his room because he was suddenly there, climbing into his bed to wrap his arms around him as he did on so many nights. Richie knew the powerful fear Seth still held in his heart for their father, even after he was dead and gone. Seth lay with his face nestled in Richie's neck, their chests pressed together, he could feel his brother's heartbeat.

 _"Seth,"_ Richie whispered in the darkness, _"I love you."_

_"I love you too Richie."_

"No," Richie paused and his breathing sped up, Seth could feel his heart pounding against his chest, "I mean, I'm in love with you."

Seth swallowed thickly, lying in the dark feeling his brother's heart beating. Richie placed a hand on the side of Seth's face gently, his hot breath washed over him as he pressed his lips to his older brother's. Seth could still remember the feeling, the softness of his brother's lips sent a spark running through him, the electricity fueling a fire deep in his gut that spread throughout his entire body.

"I know what you mean Richie. I love you the same way. It's us against the world brother. Always."

Except now there was Kate too. Somehow she had ingrained herself into their existence. Richie found it thrilling, he wanted to keep her forever, making her into one of them completely. Seth was scared, if she was like them would she still be herself too? This situation was escalating and he couldn't see through the other side of it. He started as he realized almost half the bottle of whisky was gone, he went ahead and poured himself another drink.

"Well, either you're out to have a good time or you're lookin' for trouble."

Seth looked up at the woman sliding into the stool next to his. If he was lookin' for trouble she looked like the kind he'd like to get into. She held a motorcycle helmet with a dark visor resting on her nicely rounded hip, she set it on the stool beside hers as she slid in next to him. Her midnight black hair was cut short, framing a beautiful face with creamy skin, dark liner highlighted large, liquid brown eyes. She had a full mouth and a cute little cleft in her chin that was begging to be kissed. Her getup was biker bad-bitch, she wore a leather jacket over her net shirt, he eyed the black bra peeking through appreciatively.

"I think it could go either way at this point, good times and trouble always seem to find me." He flashed her a winning smile. "Why don't you have a drink with me and we can find out together." She smiled back and it was absolutely dazzling. He signaled the bartender for another glass and poured her a drink. He slid it over to her and she slammed it back, setting the glass down she motioned him for another.

"Whoa, now who's lookin' for trouble? Or are you out to have a good time?" He poured her another drink and watched appreciatively as she tossed that one back too. She set her glass down and slid close to him, breathing in his ear.

"Why don't you take me to the bathroom and we can do both?" She smirked as he raised his eyebrows at her. Seth slid from his stool and grabbed her arm, leading her back to the bathrooms. This was exactly what he needed to get himself out of his own head, something completely uncomplicated. Not even thinking about the Kate situation.

They tore into the bathroom and Seth pulled her in so he could kiss her, he stared into those gorgeous dark eyes moving in closer. Suddenly pain exploded in his groin and he folded to the floor gagging. The bitch had kneed him in the sack! He sucked air in and rolled onto his hands and knees trying to rise from the floor. He only had a moment to process what he was seeing as a black high heeled boot flew into his vision and he was thrown backward as it connected with his mouth. Blood began pooling at the back of his throat as he lay on the filthy bathroom floor in agony.

"Carlos told me not to hurt you, but I couldn't resist. I know how much he hates los hermanos Gecko." He rolled over and sat up, spitting out blood from a badly split lip, he shook his head to clear it. Carlos. The bitch was working for Carlos.

"Well sweetheart, if this is your idea of a good time I'm ready to play. Now that I know what game we're playing." He rose to his feet in a fighting stance, fists up, he was ready.

"Let's see, scruffy, cocky, and mouthy. I suppose that makes you the older one, Seth." She tapped a finger on her dimpled chin as she sized him up.

"I prefer ruggedly handsome and charming, but yes, you found your man." He grinned at her, blood stained his teeth and dripped down his chin. He was always up for a fight, even if it was against a girl. Especially if it was this girl.

She began laughing wickedly and her face became distorted and scaly, her mouth distended as fangs dropped down and her beautiful brown eyes turned a virulent shade of yellow. A fucking culebra. Great. His eyes scanned the bathroom, looking for something that he could stake her with but there was nothing.

"Oh, not so confident now. Relax, I came here to talk business. Mostly. I just want you to know that I can kick your ass outright and eat you up if I want to. So do I have your attention?" She lounged against the wall, looking at him, amused.

He shrugged and put his hands down, he knew what she said was the truth and without a stake he was pretty much at her mercy. "Like I told Carlos before, this seems like a hell of a way to ask somebody to pull a job for him. All right sister, you've already proven who has the bigger balls. Why don't you put the fangs away and we'll talk business."

She obliged, her face shifted and the fangs receded up into her mouth, he was left looking into those dark pools that were her eyes. Fucking culebra, what a waste of a pretty face. She reached into her jacket pulling out a thick manilla envelope which she held out for him. He took it apprehensively, looking at her tight little getup he wondered how he had missed seeing that bulky envelope.

"There's a map in there with directions to the place you need to go, it's a trucker bar called Jacknife Jed's." His forehead wrinkled at the mention of a trucker bar, not exactly the big score he was hoping for. "Oh don't worry, much like the Titty Twister there is more to this bar than meets the eye, you will see soon enough."

Oh great, another big culebra people juicing trap? Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, it surely is introverted and fluffy but I stand by it.


	10. Down the Rabbit Hole

Kate sat up in bed, listening. There was someone outside the door to their motel room trying to get in! Her breath came rapidly and her heart began to race as she listened to the movement outside the door. She began to panic, her brother had come back for her. She wasn't ready to face him yet, oh Lord, he was going to drink her dry!

"Shit!" There was the distinctive clink of keys hitting the pavement and Seth's voice came through the door, he was swearing profusely. Kate let go of a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding and flopped back down onto her pillow.

Seth finally got the door unlocked and spilled into the room, the overwhelming aroma of alcohol wafted off of him filling the air. He was weaving terribly and after he closed the door he proceeded to stumble into every piece of furniture in the sparse room. She heard Richie curse softly as he rolled out of bed and went to fetch his brother.

"Jesus Seth, what the fuck happened to you? You're a mess. Come on." Richie steered his older brother to the bathroom and flipped the light on. Concern for Seth drove Kate from her bed, she approached the bathroom door and gasped as she took in the sight of him. His beautiful bottom lip was swollen and crusted over with blood, there was blood covering his chin and dark red spots dotted his shirt. Seth caught her eye in the doorway and he smiled, breaking the scab and sending a fresh rivulet of blood running down his chin.

"Well heeey there Prinzcesss. Dud I wake you?" Kate couldn't tell if it was the busted lip but she thought it was probably the amount of alcohol he had consumed that had his speech slurred terribly. "You ken go backka bed, lil' bruther'll get me figgzed up." He smiled at Richie and his ruined lip trickled out more blood. "Luv you bruther."

Richie smiled back, "Love you too brother." He clapped a hand to Seth's cheek fondly. "Kate, go get the sewing kit out of my bag, the little zippered pocket. There's an orange prescription bottle in there, bring that too." He grabbed his older brother in a bear hug and hoisted him up onto the sink counter, grunting with the effort. Kate retrieved the small sewing kit and the orange bottle, it rattled as she handed it to Richie. He twisted the cap off the bottle and dumped the contents into his hand peering at a multicolored selection of different pills, he picked out two fat, white ones and returned the rest to the bottle. Then he took the cup that Kate used when she brushed her teeth from it's place beside the sink and used the bottom to crush the pills on the counter. He swept the powdered mess into the cup and poured in some water. "Here you go buddy, drink up." He brought the cup to Seth's mouth and held it so his brother could gulp the contents down. Seth grimaced at the taste. "Okay Seth, why don't you tell us about how you got you're ass kicked while we wait for the oxys to kick in. I'm sure Katie here could use a good bedtime story." He grinned and winked a blue eye at her.

Kate rolled her eyes at him, she hated it when he spoke about her like she was a child but her curiosity was piqued. She hitched up the pair of boxers that she had borrowed from Seth to sleep in as they began sliding down her hips and leaned against the door.

"Oh man Rishie, you shoulda seen thizz gurl, she wazz so smokin hot!" Kate was not going to hit him. Certainly not after someone else had already done it for her.

Seth relayed to them what had happened while he was at the bar, his slurred speech was an issue and Richie had to ask him to repeat himself more than a few times. Kate felt a stab of jealousy as he described just how incredibly hot this mystery woman was, she took a breath to calm herself, it wasn't like she had any sort of claim on him.

"And you sat down and drank with her after that?" Richie gestured at his brother's bloody face.

"Yeah, what ken I say, sheeza fuckin' freaky bitch but she can toss em' back like a champ. I've had worz drunking pardners." Seth's speech had progressively gotten worse during the course of his story and he had started sliding forward on the counter. Richie propped him back up on the counter, leaning him against the wall then he reached around behind Seth and pulled the thick manilla envelope from his waistband and handed it to Kate. She held the envelope gingerly, it was a bit damp as Seth was prone to sweat a lot when he drank excessively. So this was all the information for the job Carlos wanted the Gecko brothers to do? Her hands itched to pull it open and peruse the contents but now was not the time.

"Alright Princess, why don't you go on back to bed? I've got this covered." Richie had washed his brother's face carefully with a damp cloth and now he was holding a needle up to his eye, threading it carefully.

"Oh no, I can stay and help. Besides, I don't think I could get back to sleep right now." She was not some fainting heart that lost it at the sight of blood after everything she had been through in the Titty Twister, the absolute carnage. Richie pushed the needle through Seth's lip, carefully making his first stitch. "Actually I am kind of sleepy, goodnight Richie. Goodnight Seth." Richie's face was screwed up in concentration as he worked on his brother. Seth looked like he might actually be asleep, propped against the wall.

After a little while Richie emerged from the bathroom, he had Seth draped on his shoulder and he dragged the older Gecko's dead weight over to their bed. He flopped him down on the mattress and stripped him down to his boxers with some difficulty. Kate lay in her bed trying to fall back to sleep.

Hours later Kate cursed as she looked at her bedside clock, four a.m. She rubbed her grainy eyes and rolled over, trying not to look at the manilla envelope she had placed on her nightstand beside the clock. Screw it. She rolled back over and her hand reached for the nightstand, she opened the drawer and retrieved Richie's present. Unzipping the little storage bag as quietly as she could she slipped the vibrator and it's remote free and held them close to her face so she could look them over in the dim glow of the streetlight coming through their window.

She flipped the switch and tensed, looking over at the brother's bed to see if the faint buzzing had disturbed either of them. Seth lay in the same position Richie had left him in, sleeping soundly. Richie had his head resting on his brother's chest, which seemed to be his favorite way to sleep, his eyes remained closed and his breathing was deep and even.

Kate closed her eyes and brought the tiny rabbit ears of her vibrator to her lips, thinking of how close Richie had been when he had done the same thing earlier. She thought about his blue eyes peering intently at her from behind the lenses of his glasses, the color rising in his cheeks as he watched her. Now that she thought about it she wished that she hadn't panicked and instead allowed him to make his move. She spent so much time worrying about what could happen, she was weary of thinking about it. Seth, Richie. Richie, Seth. They both drove her crazy.

Shimmying off Seth's borrowed boxers she moved the vibrator down and pressed it to her clit, feeling the vibration through her panties, her back arched in pleasure, "OH!" She looked up quickly to see if her little outburst had woken anyone up and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Richie sitting up in bed, definitely not asleep. He had his glasses on and was rubbing himself through his boxers as he watched her, he had obviously been awake for at least a little while. He grinned unapologetically when he saw her looking at him, her eyes wide with shock.

 _"Richie!"_ she hissed at him from across the room, _"What the fuck?!"_ She pressed her thighs closed around the vibrator to hide the buzzing noise while her hand groped around the bed looking for the dropped remote.

"Oh come on Kate, you get to watch me but I'm not allowed to watch you? Judging from the evidence you seemed to really enjoy yourself the other night." He arched his eyebrow and smacked his lips at her. Cheeky bastard.

 _"Hush up Richard, you're going to wake your brother up."_ The heat rising in her had nothing to do with embarrassment, that little egg was working hard. Where was that damn remote?

"Kate, he's piss drunk and fucked up on oxys, he's completely comatose, look at him." Richie leaned over and flipped on the bedside light, Kate winced as the sudden brightness hit her eyes, Seth lay still. Leaning in Richie spoke loudly in his brother's ear, "Seth wake up, the house is on fire!" It was a cruel thing to say just to make a point but if anything could wake him it would be that. Seth was unresponsive. "Nothing," Richie shook his head ruefully, "you can go about your business, big brother won't bust you."

"Richie, this is weird. I don't know if I can do this in front of you." It was an odd combination of awkwardness and arousal that she was feeling.

"It's okay Kate, just relax and enjoy yourself." She bit her lip and looked at him. His face brightened, "I have an idea, let's play a game. I'll tell you what to do and you have to do it to yourself." He looked at her hopefully.

She hesitated, the little egg trapped between her thighs pulsated, begging to be used. "Hmm, okay. But if we're playing a game there has to be rules." He sat up attentively, apparently he was very pleased at her participation. "Rule number one, you stay in your bed and I stay in mine." He nodded agreement. "Rule two, I leave my clothes on." His face fell. 

"Oh come on Princess, how about no panties and just a shirt?"

"Okay, how about no shirt and just panties and you don't push your luck?"

"Fine with me, any other rules?" He arched an eyebrow at her.

Kate gulped, she was really doing this. "Rule three, last one, I want you to get yourself off. I want you to get off at the same time that I cum. Can you do that?" Her face blazed red and she tried not to squirm as she said the words. He grinned, pushing his glasses back up his nose with one long finger.

"I can do that." He gave her a considering look, "Now take your shirt off, slowly."

She grasped the bottom of her shirt and lifted it shyly, revealing a pair of glossy satin panties the color of lilacs. They had white lace cutouts at each hip and a little white bow adorned the front. She was delighted to see Richie bite down hard on his lower lip, it seemed that she wasn't the only one with an appreciation for pretty underwear. She slid the shirt higher, pausing at the bottom curve of her breasts for a moment then pulled it up and off the rest of the way, quickly like ripping off a band aid. Richie stared at her intently, his eyes tracing the curves of her perfectly rounded breasts, the pale skin highlighting delicate pink nipples. His large hands could have enveloped each one completely and his fingers twitched with the thought. He sat up kneeling on the bed next to his brother and pulled his boxers down revealing his fully erect cock jutting from a dark patch of pubic hair, Kate's mouth watered at the sight of it.

"I want you to take your little rabbit, Kate, and run it over your breasts. Use the tip of the ears on your nipples."

She squirmed for a moment, still feeling a bit silly but she obeyed. She lay back on the bed and ran the vibrator underneath the curve of each breast, teasing herself, then moved it up, touching the tip of the little rabbit ears to her erect nipple. "Ahhh...." she sighed at the unexpected thrill. Richie's tongue darted out of his mouth to lick his top lip lewdly, he grabbed ahold of his throbbing length and began to stroke it leisurely. Kate began squirming on her back, wanting to move the vibrator lower but waiting on Richie's command.

"Yeah baby girl, that's good, I can see you like that. Now slide it down, nuh uh, not so fast." Kate paused with the vibrator pressed to her ribs. "Take your little rabbit and slide it down _slowly_ to the inside of your thigh, don't touch your pussy with it yet."

Kate moved the egg slowly down her stomach, the little rabbit ears tickled when they touched her navel and she broke out into goosebumps. She spread her legs wide and ran the vibrator over her silky smooth panties bringing it to rest on the inside of her thigh. Having the vibrations this close to her opening was both delicious and agonizing. Her eyes watered and she groaned with desire.

Richie knelt on the bed pumping himself slowly with one hand, his other hand ran along the expanse of his comatose brother's chest as he watched her. Kate traced his lines with her eyes, he had a lean, fit build and the way his muscles formed a v at his hips like they were pointing down to his dick drove her wild. She began to inch the vibrator closer toward her pussy, needing to feel it inside her.

"Stop Kate." He breathed heavily, "I'm playing by your rules, you need to obey mine. You do what I tell you to, when I tell you." The way he looked at her with his blue eyes so intense made her wonder what rule he would break if she disobeyed. She swallowed thickly and pressed the egg into the hollow of her thigh, the closeness to her pussy was driving her crazy, her hips rolled forward involuntarily. Her head rolled on the pillow and she bit her lip, hard.

"Alright sweetheart, why don't you slide those beautiful panties out of the way and stick it in, just the rabbit's head, you don't want to hurt yourself." He smirked at her, his hand still stroking his dick. He had begun to play with Seth's earlobe, rolling it between his fingers and tugging on it gently as his brother slumbered, dead to the world.

Kate complied, she twisted a finger in the crotch of her panties and pulled them aside, then she pushed the little rabbit head into herself, she was already soaking wet and the toy slid in easily. She gasped at the absolute pleasure of it as her pussy clamped tight around the vibrator and her back arched up off the bed. She began rocking her hips up and down in time with the hand Richie was using to stroke himself.

"That's good Katie, you look so good right now." Richie's face was flushed and he began rocking his hips, fucking his hand with a rolling motion. His other hand was buried in Seth's hair, he held a fistful in a tight grip.

"Now take it out." Kate was too enthralled in the feeling of it, she couldn't do it.

"Kate, you're not listening to me. You take it out now, or I will." She looked at him, seeing the intent in his eyes. Should she obey or should she let him make good on his threat? She wasn't sure what would happen if he came to her right now. She slid the little rabbit head from her pussy, wetness slid down soaking into the panties pulled tight against her ass hole.

"Good, good baby girl," he said, panting, "now slide it up to your clit sweetheart."

She obeyed, sliding the rabbit head up, her back arched as a wave of pure pleasure washed over her. "Oh! Oh Richie!" He squeezed his eyes shut at the sound of his name and breathed through clenched teeth. He swallowed thickly and focused his eyes back on Kate, watching as she writhed on her bed.

"Alright baby girl, I'm close and I can see that you are too." He was panting and his hips rolled forward in an erratic rhythm. "I want you to keep that little rabbit on your clit and fuck yourself with your fingers." Kate slipped two slim fingers into herself, feeling the muscle tighten around them, her heart was racing in her chest as she rode herself toward climax.

Richie's nostrils flared and his eyes rolled, fluttering closed for a moment. He was up on his knees fucking his hand forcefully while he kept his hold on his brother's hair, tugging it hard.

The vibrations running over her clit were almost too much to bear. She rocked her hips up off the bed, fucking fingers that were dripping wet, sliding them in and out of her tight little hole. "Richie, oh Richie, OH RICHIE!" Kate cried out as she came, hard. She had to blink tears from her eyes as she watched Richie on the bed across the room thrust into his fist. Cum, white and thick, flowed from his tip, splashing across his stomach and running down his hand.

Kate lay in her bed, breathing heavily, the vibrator buzzed against the mattress, forgotten. She stared over at Richie, his shoulders heaved as he tried to catch his breath. He slowly rose from his bed and suddenly Kate felt nervous and her heart began racing again, she threw the covers over herself quickly. Richie snickered and flipped off his light, then he padded over to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

"Sweet dreams, Katie-Cakes."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whether you're care free and single or happily entangled in a relationship a vibrator is a wonderful thing, most certainly not a shameful secret. If you don't own one I strongly suggest you take a trip to your local sex shop, walk in with your head held high, and ask the friendly shop employee about their selection.  
> Oh, and pick me up some hentai while you're there too please.


	11. Goin off the rails on a crazy train. Don't call him crazy.

Dark, angry clouds hung low in the sky, they boiled and swirled, moving as if whipped by a powerful wind. He could see faces in those clouds, faces of the people he had killed, their eyes full of anguish and secrets that only the dead knew. He slid his fingers under his glasses to rub his eyes and when his focus on the road cleared the clouds were gone, replaced by deep blue sky with a merciless sun, burning bright.

"So you think this is another screwed up deathtrap like the Titty Twister?" Kate's voice held a twinge of panic, "And we're running headfirst toward it." He cut his gaze from the road to meet her stare. Her pink lips trembled and her eyes were wide with fear. As he stared her pupils shifted, turning into slits. A violent shade of yellow began to creep through her eyes, edging out the green of her irises.

"Yes." Richie turned his gaze back to the road, unconcerned. Kate's eyes just did that sometimes but they always turned back to the beautiful shade of green that made him feel so at peace, like walking through deep woods. "Only this time we know the true nature of the place and we'll be going in prepared, instead of like a bunch of jackass tourists." He moved one of his hands from the steering wheel to grasp her hand in his, the contact sent a little thrill through him. He thought about last night, relishing the image of Kate spread out on her bed just for him.

"Jackass tourists? You and Seth are seasoned criminals! You killed your way across the whole state of Texas to get to Mexico and you two barely made it out of the Twister alive!" She was yelling by the end of her sentence and Richie could feel tension in the iron grip she had on his hand. Turning his attention from the road again to look at her he breathed a little sigh of relief, her eyes had returned to that gorgeous green he loved so much. He couldn't help himself, he untangled his hand from hers and cupped her cheek, running his thumb over her lips lightly. Kate broke her eyes from his stare and looked down shyly, color stained her cheeks. She was thinking about last night. Good.

"Well sweetheart, we did make it out alive and now we know what we're up against. To tell you the truth I don't really wanna get back into that shit either, but we don't really have a choice. Carlos has already made it perfectly clear that he can find us wherever we go, we're stuck between a rock and a hard place." Seth was sitting up from the backseat, he leaned in between the two of them and glared disapprovingly at Richie's hand caressing Kate's cheek. Her yelling had stirred him from his sprawl in the backseat where he had spent most of the day sleeping off his previous night's escapades. Richie spared a glance for his brother and moved his hand from Kate's cheek, placing it on her thigh he began caressing her soft, creamy skin. She grabbed his hand in a tight grip as he began running his fingers along the hemline of her shorts and Richie laughed.

That morning Kate and Richie had looked through the yellow envelope containing the details for Carlos' job and decided to get moving toward this place, Jacknife Jed's, they could do some planning along the way. When they had dragged Seth out of bed to tell him the plan he bitched at them for waking him then downed a couple more oxys before passing out in a sweaty heap in the backseat of their car. Richie and Kate were more than willing to leave him in peace as they packed up the car and drove off.

"You know you don't need to be part of this." Seth slid forward in his seat and leaned his elbows on Kate and Richie's shoulders. "We can drop you somewhere near the border, get you some cash along the way. What do you say Princess, you wanna go vacation in Tijuana?" Anger at his brother's suggestion to leave Kate sprung up in Richie and he stared daggers at the older Gecko. Seth suddenly burst into flame, his skin turning black as it crisped and burned from his bones, Richie's eyes flinched away. No one cried out as his brother just sat there, feeling no pain at being burnt alive. Richie knew it was a vision, one that only he could see. Kate released Richie's hand and a smack rang out as she slapped Seth squarely across the cheek with her open palm.

"You promised me Seth, _don't give me that bullshit!_ I don't want to hear _another word_ about you leaving me anywhere. I can't believe you would even suggest leaving me alone _again_. Yes, I'm scared of going into another culebra deathtrap temple, and you're an idiot if you're not. But if you two tell me that we can pull this off then I will believe you. I have faith in the Gecko brothers' uncanny ability to survive." Richie grinned and squeezed her thigh, goddamn he had it bad for this girl! Seth grunted then grasped his brother's hand in his, pulling it from Kate's leg. He twisted his hand in Seth's grip to fold their fingers together, craving that intimate contact. When he chanced another glance at his brother Richie was relieved to see that, other than the black pattern running up his neck, there were no more flames and his brother's skin was whole and unburnt.

With the death of Santanico Pandemonium Seth had expected everything to go back to the way it was before he had gone to prison, he had expected Richie to be the same person that had kissed him goodbye over five years ago. Five years was a long stretch. While Seth was doing time on the inside Richie was doing time too. What Seth had never realized was that Richie had always had visions, it was a common affliction for people of high intellect. Being a prodigy he was blessed with the gift of sight, he caught brief glimpses of other dimensions as they overlapped into their own. The longer Richie was separated from his older brother the more intense his visions had gotten, that was why Santanico had chosen him. The strength of his visions had drawn her to him, using his gift to suit her own twisted purpose. The Richie that had broken Seth out of prison was a vastly different person from the singularly devoted little brother the older Gecko had expected. His lust for power had grown and he wasn't so ready to just fall in line behind Seth as he had in the past, it was something that his brother wasn't used to and it caused a lot of arguments. On top of that he had done some pretty disturbing shit while he was under the sway of Santanico Pandimonium, Seth had never looked at him quite the same after that. There was always a hint of doubt in his brother's eyes, a deep seated fear that someday Richie would come unraveled again.

So he hid his gift from everyone. Now when Kate's eyes morphed from deep green to culebra yellow he simply smiled and waited for them to return to their normal state. When Seth burst into flames beside him he didn't cry out or panic, he simply looked away while he waited for the vision to pass. That particular vision had haunted him since the night he had killed their dumbshit father by burning him alive. Though it was alarming and it caused him great pain to see his beloved brother roasting in flames the vision was a fond reminder for Richie, he had always felt an immense sense of satisfaction at having ended their prick of a father.

"Well we're not going to make it anywhere unless we get some more cash. There's a town about twenty miles up the road." Richie eyed his brother's lip and grinned, "Seth why don't you hang back on this one buddy? You already look like you're up to no good." He untangled his hand from his brother's and fingered his bottom lip roughly. Seth brought his hand up to slap Richie's fingers away.

"Fuck you Richie, it'll be fine. If this goes anything like last time no one is even gonna be lookin at my face."

Thirty minutes later Richie leaned against the side of their car with his hand clutching a gas pump. It was hot as shit out here and he couldn't wait to be done with this business and get back on the road in the air conditioned cab. He watched Kate stroll casually across the parking lot, the combination of cowboy boots and short-shorts was quite a sight. He looked into the car and saw his brother admiring the curve of Kate's ass in those cute little shorts, Seth winced as he absentmindedly bit his lower lip. Richie chuckled, he was going to need to replace those stitches if his brother couldn't control that habit, he did it anytime he saw something he wanted; a muscle car, a stack of cash, a big gun and a couple of extra mags, a pretty girl, Richie's dick. It was funny to Richie that his brother was so easy to read, it was one of the things he loved most about Seth. _Oh brother, when will you just let go and stop torturing yourself, and me, and Kate._ If it hadn't been for Seth's ridiculous moral code Richie would have had Kate in their bed months ago.

Richie watched through the glass storefront as Kate leaned into a cooler, the limited expanse of her shorts rode high revealing the bottom curve of her butt cheeks while she was bent over, it was enticing. The metallic wrapper of a frozen treat glinted in her hand as she rose up from the cooler with her selection, she turned and spoke to the man working the register then smiled and unwrapped it. Her little pink tongue darted out to lick up the length of her ice cream and Richie felt his cock twitch. She wandered around and disappeared toward the back of the store, suddenly the clerk came around the counter moving back to where Kate had gone. Richie knocked on the car window to get his brother's attention, Seth nodded, it was time.

They loped into the store, Seth immediately went for the counter with the cash register. Richie stood by the door and kept watch, he could hear Kate talking to the clerk behind one of the isles.

.......trying to reach the top shelf and I accidentally knocked the rack over. Here, let me help you clean it up."

"No hay problema, tengo esto."

There was some shuffling and a crinkling sound as he began cleaning up whatever mess Kate had made back there. "Okay, well I'm just going to grab some beer and I'll wait for you up front." He heard a cooler door shut with a smack and the jingle of bottles as Kate came through the store hauling a case of beer. Richie thought he should probably help her with the heavy box of beer but didn't bother.

When they got to the counter Seth finished clearing out the register. He came around and grabbed a couple of bills out of the paper bag before shoving it at Richie. The man cleaning up Kate's mess came up from the back of the store and Seth waved some money at him. "For the cerveza, amigo." he gestured to the beer in Kate's hands, then tossed the bills on the counter. The clerk eyed the two older men and the young girl holding the case of beer curiously, then nodded his head and wandered toward the back of the store to finish cleaning up.

As Richie strolled through the parking lot toward the car his breath caught in his throat momentarily. Santanico Pandemonium appeared before him, standing barely clothed under the late afternoon sun she wasn't burning as a culebra should. Richie knew that this was simply her ghost, not a projection into his mind. Since the Twister she had been haunting them, Richie would see her from time to time but no one else seemed to notice when she appeared. She stood under the glare of the sun, her depthless eyes stared at him accusingly. _Sorry sister, you messed with the wrong brothers and now you're fucking dead. Your fault, not mine._ He winked and Santanico grimaced at him before she faded away.


	12. What else would they do, sing "Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall"?

Kate and Richie alternated driving during the day. He spent his free time poring over papers and photos, the entire contents of the manilla envelop carrying Carlos' intel for the heist had been strewn about the front of the car, . A cloud surrounded him as he puffed away on a cigarette while scribbling in his notepad, occasionally lifting a page from the pile for closer study. The smoke was almost unbearable and he only let her keep the window cracked so the draft wouldn't disturb his papers. He ignored her when she asked him to put his cigarette out.

When Richie took his turn at the wheel he stayed deep in thought. Kate studied him from the passenger seat as he drove, there was a hollow, haunted look about his eyes, he seemed on edge. His jawbone shifted while he ground his teeth in concentration, muttering to himself every once in a while. Her eyes settled on his hands, long fingers gripping the steering wheel and she felt a giddiness rise in her as she pictured those long fingers wrapped around his penis, stroking himself as he had the night before. "Kate stop." Suddenly his blue eyes were drilling into her and the intensity took her aback.

"Stop what?" Confusion painted her face.

"I can feel you thinking about the other night. It's _very distracting._ " He can _feel_ her thinking about the other night? What an odd thing to say. How could he possibly know that she was thinking about their little game? As he turned to look back at the road she could see it was true. His hands shifted on the steering wheel like they were looking for something else to grip and there was color, high in his cheeks that hadn't been there a couple of minutes ago. The cigarette drooping at the corner of his mouth had turned mostly to ash as he took long, anxious drags.

"How can you-"

"Sweetheart, as much as I loved that little game we played, and believe me I am really looking forward to round two, I need to plan. No distractions. You need to get your head out of the gutter and stop eye fucking me." He turned to her and grinned. A flood of emotions ran through her, bewilderment at his claim to know what she was thinking about and embarrassment because he was right about her mind being in the gutter. Also anger at his assumption that there would be a _round two_ and a sharp sense of arousal at the anticipation.

"You have an awfully high opinion of yourself, Richard Gecko." And with that she left him to his own devices and climbed into the back of the car with Seth.

He seemed lonely lately. Since the night he had kissed her he had been completely unaccessible, putting up walls that even his little brother couldn't seem to break through. His body was sprawled across the entire backseat, he lay on his back with one arm behind his head as a cushion, snoring softly. One leg was propped up, knee bent, leaning against the backseat, the other leg spilled over the side of the seat, hanging down onto the floor where there was quite a collection of beer bottles rolling around. He had wasted no time in tearing into the case of beer she had grabbed for him during their last robbery. She was reluctant to disturb him but she couldn't climb back up front with Richie, she might slap him. Whenever Seth wasn't around for the younger Gecko to needle he turned his attentions to annoying her, it was like he had this innate need to get under people's skin.

Using great care she slipped a hand beneath Seth's head and with her other hand moved the arm he was using for a pillow, then she slid herself beneath him, cradling his head in her lap. The only response he had to being jostled about was a brief pause in snoring and when he resumed the soft raspy sound changed into a deep, low rumbling. Sweat soaked his hair and his white undershirt clung to his body. He always sweated profusely when he drank but she was amazed at the heat coming off of him, it was incredible! It seeped through her shorts and she tried to ignore the reaction her body was having to his warmth. _Get your mind out of the gutter Kate!_ A little surge of anger welled up in her, what would Richie say if he knew what she was thinking about right now? Her hands moved involuntarily and as her eyes traced the lines of Seth's face her fingers did some exploring of their own. One hand delved into his hair, her fingers carding through the sweaty mess. Even damp as it was the feeling of his hair was so silky against her fingertips and she found herself unable to stop playing with it. With her other hand she gently traced her fingertips down his jawline, the three day growth of stubble was abrasive and _just so fucking masculine_. The sudden idea of that stubble rubbing against the inside of her thigh sent a jolt of absolute want straight through her and she squeezed her thighs together in response.

Another thought came to her as she scraped her nails along that stubble and she laughed quietly to herself, three characteristics that described Seth perfectly; heated, abrasive and very masculine.

She shifted her hand and ran the pads of her fingers lightly against his lips, carefully moving over the stitches, _so soft_ , they were parted slightly just begging to be kissed. Moving as if in a dream Kate placed her hand gently on the side of his face, caressing his cheek with her thumb, and lowered her mouth onto his. She closed her eyes and kissed him lightly, nuzzling her lips across his, savoring the absolute softness. Something changed, the steady rhythmic breathing of a man deep in sleep stopped. Her eyelids slid open and she was suddenly staring deeply into the rich brown of Seth's eyes. She could see joy and ecstacy in those eyes but there was a shadow of fear. _What are you so afraid of Seth? I'm just a girl. In love._ The thought gave her pause, but as soon as it came into her head she knew it was true. She started to pull away but then his hand was on the back of her head, pulling her back down. When he kissed her it was like an electric shock, that set her heart racing and her breathing came quick and hard. Not the slow, soft kind of kiss like the other night, this was something much more primal, the push of his lips against hers was urgent and wanting.

Eventually he released her and she felt an aching loss as he sat up on the seat next to her. "Hey Richie, can I bum a cigarette?" Seth only smoked occasionally so he never had a pack of his own, unless he was holding for Richie. Kate sat there next to him, impatiently waiting for him to say something, anything about what had just happened.

"I've only got two left, you're out of luck brother." Richie called from the front without looking back.

"Fuck you Richard, you've been smokin non-stop since we started this little joyride, everything in this car reeks. Just give me a goddamned smoke asshole." A small box came sailing through the air to hit Seth squarely in the face, Kate could see Richie laughing in the rear-view mirror.

Kate sat in silence as Seth lit his cigarette. He took a drag, inhaling deeply then released a cloud of smoke with one, deep moan. "Did you know I used to be married?" Kate looked up in surprise, not the subject matter she was hoping to discuss. Her eyebrows came together in a look of incredulity. "You were _married?_ "

Seth raised his eyebrows and grinned at her, the stitches in his lip pulling tight. "Yeah, I was going through this part of my life where everything was real crazy, I needed something normal. Vanessa did recon for this outfit runnin outta K.C., they brought us on to do a couple of jobs. She had a big personality and an even bigger mouth, she liked to talk alotta shit so we were kinda perfect for each other." She laughed at that, trying to picture some sort of female version of Seth out in the world. "Oh man was she gorgeous, legs that went on for days, and these baby blues that you could just drown in. She was a natural blonde but kept her hair dyed pitch black, thought it made her look like more of a badass." His eyes came unfocused as he spoke about his ex-wife, like he was looking into the past at her. "When I got a place with Vanessa and split outta the apartment that me and Richie shared he didn't even care." The smile faded from his lips and a shadow crept across his eyes. "He was my best man at our wedding. When she walked down that isle, all decked out in white with this smile on her face like she was _just so fuckin happy_ , he leans in and whispers to me, "Enjoy your little piece of the American Dream while you can Seth. It's never going to last." I think I knew it too.......I just wanted a normal life so bad, I let her marry me." He turned his head to stare out the window.

"What happened to Vanessa, where is she now?" There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

After a while Seth turned back to face her, the corners of his eyes were tight. "Well, we got a divorce before I went to prison, I didn't want her to wait for me but she did. After Richie busted me out and we knocked off that bank in Abilene the plan was to meet up with her and we'd all cross the border together. There was too much heat. Richie and I had no idea how the fuck we were gonna get into Mexico, and my brother was all fucked up, he needed me. I gave her enough money to live comfortably for the rest of her life and said goodbye. She woulda been better off." He shook his head, like he was trying to convince himself that was the truth. "But then I got busted at the burger joint where we had met up, some local cop ready to make a name for himself by bringing in one of the infamous Gecko brothers. Vanessa held him up so I could get away, last I heard she was doin time up in Gatesville.............a twenty year stretch."

Kate felt ill. Vanessa was a woman that he had committed himself to in the bonds of marriage. _She had gone to prison for him for twenty years!_ Now she was just another tale that Seth kept in his vast repertoire of stories. Another casualty of the Gecko brothers' in their war against the world.

"Seth, that's so sad. She went to prison for you and when she gets out she'll be left with nothing." His face fell, he thought the same thing every day. Then he clenched his jaw and a hard look came across his brown eyes.

"Well sometimes that's the price you pay for being in this line of business Princess, maybe you should learn from her mistake. I told you before, this isn't some kinda game and the consequences are very real." Kate shied away as he turned his wrath on her. "I meant it when I said you didn't have to be a part of this. We can get you some cash and part ways, no hard feelings. You have no idea what your getting yourself into." His words held a weight to them that crushed her. After everything they had been through together he was still willing to just let her go, _no hard feelings._ A tear slid down her cheek and he reached over to wipe it away, caressing her face with his big fingers.

"Hey, it'll be alright baby girl, we'll figure this shit out." Another tear escaped the corner of her eye and he swiped at it with a callused thumb. " _Damn._ Leave it to me to fuck up your day before I'm even fully awake." He expelled a breath and shook his head ruefully, smiling. "Did I ever tell you about when me and Richie crashed a baby shower to steal a cake for our Uncle Eddie's birthday?" She shook her head, content to let him change the subject.

Seth took over the driving at night, once the sun was fully down he climbed up front with his brother, leaving Kate the back seat to catch some sleep. They spent three days in the car like that, switching back and forth. Richie stayed lost in thought while Kate and Seth shot the shit or slept. She was pretty sure that Richie didn't sleep at all.

When Richie took over driving late on the third day Kate was reluctant to give up the wheel. He was beginning to show signs of sleep deprivation and it was starting to disturb her, but he insisted on taking his turn so she climbed into the back seat with Seth to pass the time.

"I don't see what the big deal is, I don't like horror movies, never have. That was Scott's thing, he had all these movie posters on the walls of his room, 'Evil Dead', 'Dead Alive', 'CHUD', what kind of a movie name is _CHUD_ anyway?" She grimaced and Seth laughed.

"Well your brother might be a real asshole now but he's got some interesting taste in movies. Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers."

"What?" She looked up at him, confused.

"C.H.U.D. that's what it stands for, they live in New York City sewers and eat homeless people. That used to be a favorite late night flick for me and Richie when we were growing up." Kate cocked her eyebrow at him and he shook with laughter.

Suddenly Kate was thrown sideways and Seth fell into her as the car swerved violently, they looked to the front to see what the problem was. Richie was staring in the rear view mirror and Kate turned to look out the back window at the empty road.

"Hey Richie, eyes on the road buddy! What was that, did you almost hit an animal?" Richie turned his focus back to the road, ignoring his brother, he was muttering.

".....eyes find eyes but I took yours. How did you find me..........little Gordita?" Kate looked to Seth, he sat stone still with his eyes glued to his brother.

"He's just tired Seth, he hasn't slept in three days." She could see the fear building behind the older Gecko's eyes and she placed her hand on his arm. "He'll be fine once he gets some rest." Seth just nodded, for once he was speechless.

The sun was sinking toward the horizon when they pulled off the road into the parking lot of yet another run down looking motel. Kate was relieved, she didn't relish the prospect of spending any more time in the car with Richie behind the wheel. He put it in park and slid from the driver's seat, his shoulders sagged as he slunk over to the motel office to get them a room. Kate stretched and moved away from Seth to look through the window at a crowded parking lot, this motel was packed! She watched Richie saunter out of the motel office with a smirk on his face, he looked very smug, like he was laughing at a joke that only he knew.

When Seth unlocked the door to their room and they stepped through Kate realized that she was now in on the joke and it was not funny. Two mismatched chairs stood by a beaten up table, there was a rickety stand holding a t.v. from the 1980's, and one big bed took up most of the remaining space.

"Richard, what the fuck is this?" Seth rounded on his brother, a tendon stood out on his neck and red flushed from beneath the collar of his shirt up to his hairline. "You better have another room key."

Richie ducked his head, staring at the floor in a weak attempt to hide the grin spreading across his face. "Maybe you didn't notice but every motel we've passed for the last hour has been packed, this was the first place I saw with a vacancy sign up and we just snagged the last room. From what I could make out the guy in the office says that there's some kind of festival going on." There was a cold light in his blue eyes and he smirked cruelly. "Apparently these people worship some sort of snake goddess. Too bad they don't know she's fucking dead!" With that he lost it, he doubled over and his shoulders shook with uncontrollable laughter.

Concern that the younger Gecko was becoming unhinged again welled up in Kate, she looked to Seth but he just shrugged and shook his head. For the second time today he was speechless.

"I don't mind sleeping on the floor." Kate volunteered. It wouldn't make sense for both brothers to sleep on the floor while she had the big bed all to herself. Though she was quite loathsome to spend the night sleeping on a carpet that was so grimy there was no way of telling what the original color was.

The second time Kate felt something skitter across her with tiny little claws she jumped up, grabbed her pillow, and dove into the bed. Seth had a little more room on his side since he was leaned into Richie so she edged in behind him. Their backs were so close she could feel the heat coming off of his body, every breath he took sent a vibration through her. 


	13. Sun's Out Guns Out.

Sweat sprang up on his brow and upper lip the moment he climbed out of the air conditioned cab of the car. _"Shit."_ Ducking back in he snatched a paper bag filled with breakfast burritos before slamming the door shut. He shaded his eyes to look at the sky and winced, the sun was barely over the horizon and it was already hotter than hell. _Shake, shake, shake,_ the sound of iced beverages in takeout cups followed him across the pavement. He stopped to wait on his little brother who was carrying a cardboard tray with two frosty horchatas dripping condensation, and a cup of hot black coffee.

"I'm just saying it was kinda fuckin weird okay? I thought all this shit was gonna stop." They had been going at it all morning and Seth's patience was wearing thin. "All that shit, the nightmares, the demons, the _visions_ , you told me that it stopped when we staked the snake queen." Seth studied his brother as they walked side by side across the parking lot. After a good night's sleep Richie seemed to be whole, there were still dark circles around his eyes but they had lost the haunted shadow that had developed over the past three days. He was present, not lost in his own thoughts, and he had stopped muttering to himself.

"Just leave it alone Seth, I'm fine. I've been up for three days! While you've been busy in the backseat with little Katie-Cakes I've been working on a plan. I'm just tired."

He rounded on Richie, halting him in the parking lot."NO, NO IT'S MORE THAN THAT! It's more than just being tired. Tired doesn't explain you almost running us off the road while you talk to a girl that is dead. _DEAD AND GONE RICHARD!_ " He forced himself to meet his brother's stare without flinching or looking away, he could see the hurt and betrayal in Richie's eyes. "The Overland jewelry heist, our first big job. I remember you stayin up for an entire week, no sleep, and no food either as I recall. Just smokes and Jolt to keep you goin'. No _visions_ , no _nightmares_ , no dead imaginary friends."

Suddenly there was a gleam in Richie's eye and the prick smirked at him. "Yeah Seth, I remember that job, how could I forget. We were squatting in some rich asshole's vacation condo in downtown Overland Park. You and I spent the entire week working recon for that job and fucking on every surface of that condo. We broke the dining room table." He laughed at that. "That will always be one of my favorite jobs." Richie set the tray of drinks down on the ground and reached out to grip the back of Seth's neck, pulling him in he pressed their foreheads together. "I need you to trust me Seth. We're not partners, we're brothers, we trust each other." Seth closed his eyes and inhaled his brother's scent, when he opened them again Richie held his gaze, his eyes were a bright, electric blue in the sunlight. He felt a deep calm seep through his body. "Please Seth, I need you with me. I'm so tired. I can't deal with all of this if I'm fighting with you too."

Seth breathed deeply, _"I love you."_ he whispered into his brother's mouth. Then he leaned in slightly and pressed a gentle kiss to Richie's lips, his little brother melted against him and it was like the world fell away around them. Slowly he pushed back and Richie released his grip on his neck. "If you say you'll be okay then I trust you. I just wish you would tell me what's goin' on in that head of yours."

Richie stooped down to retrieve the tray of drinks from the pavement, he turned and began walking back to the motel room. "All in good time brother. All in good time."

\--

Kate sat cross legged on the bed looking over the papers and photos she had laid out across the floor. Before the brothers had left to get breakfast Richie pressed the manila envelope into her hands and tasked her with setting up their work station. She had chosen the corner of the room farthest from the door, it was perfect because the bed hid everything from view if you were standing in the doorway. He had also given her a sheaf of sketches that had been torn from his notepad and a codex in his precise handwriting with specific instructions as to how to lay the sketches out. Her eyes went wide with amazement as she looked over the final product. Each paper from the notepad was a tile in a larger puzzle that, when put together per the instructions of the codex, made up a giant blueprint. On one side, written in large, precise print there were the words, 'CARGO ELEVATOR', circled in red ink. This elevator didn't go up into a building, it went below ground. For eight floors. The bottom floor was called the, 'Subbasement', creepy. The top level was the only above ground floor and it was relatively small. The building expanded as it went down, each below ground level larger than the next, it looked like a giant buried pyramid....The hair on the back of her neck stood up.

She jumped when the door opened then immediately felt like an idiot for letting her nerves get the better of her as Seth strolled in with Richie in tow, her stomach rumbled loudly when she saw the paper bag in Seth's hands. "Mornin' Princess, you did your homework I see." Seth came around the bed to admire her handiwork before grabbing a black coffee from his brother and retreating to the beaten up table on the other side of the room to eat his breakfast. Richie had gotten her hooked on horchata and when she saw the milky drink in his hand she went up on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek as she took it from him. Richie slurped his horchata obnoxiously as he surveyed her work while Kate joined Seth at the table for breakfast .

"Looks good Kate, it's nice to see that _some_ of my teaching has sunk in." He smiled at her playfully.

After breakfast they spent the morning going over the basics of the plan for Carlos' job. Apparently this was a two part job, the first part would need the skill of a great boxman. "So the safe is in the.....'Subbasement.' It looks like there's only one way in and out of there, I don't like it." Kate grimaced at the thought of Richie stuck eight floors underground. He would have to be the one to do it.

"That's why I'll have you and Seth covering that elevator like it was your own ass on the line. You're going to be on the top floor. I need you to keep an eye out for when Carlos gets there and let us know if he's trying to fuck us while we're stuck downstairs. He wants to use you as leverage and he's going to want to protect his interest so you should actually be safer with that asshole." Richie laughed at that but Kate didn't find it so funny. Carlos had been the one to turn her brother into a bloodthirsty monster, something she would never forget and couldn't forgive. But she could get through this job. Then there would be time to deal with Carlos.

The second part of the job was a truck heist. "Man, that's one big sonofabitch truck and we're going to be moving pretty fast, the deal's gotta be done before dawn. Can you do it Seth?"

"Of course I can! You remember the Freeport Black Gold job?"

"Yeah, I remember you bitching nonstop while we did recon for three days because that job was in a dry county." Richie shook his head grimacing.

"Well if you're memory's so great then you'll also remember that I'm the one who drove that tanker. That big bitch was haulin over 10,000 gallons of Texas Tea. I think I can handle what looks to be a delivery truck."

They planned on late into the afternoon until finally Seth threw his hands up. "Alright I can't do this anymore. I need to go blow of a little steam. Whaddya say Princess, you wanna go get some target practice in?" Kate looked up at him, her mind was spinning from information overload. Yeah, she did want to go shoot some guns.

"That sounds good. We can use the beer from the second case I got you for targets." She waited for his objection.

"Yeah. Alright. Let's just get the fuck outta here."

\--

Beer and brown glass exploded into the air, sparkling in the sunlight. Her aim was getting better! Kate whooped and kicked her boot at a rock, sending it spinning across the dry desert ground. Sunlight glinted off the barrel of Seth's revolver as she leveled her gun at another bottle and fired. Dirt fountained into the air as she missed her target, hitting the ground just to the right of it.

"That's alright Katie, just remember to breathe when you take your shot." She studied Seth out of the corner of her eye, he stood close by with his arms crossed over his chest, he was wearing a white tank and it was hard not to stare at the swell of his bare biceps. _Focus Kate!_ Right, breathe. Taking aim she inhaled then exhaled slowly as she pulled the trigger. Glass and beer showered across the ground, the dry earth soaked up the liquid in seconds. Adrenaline got the better of her, she flipped the safety on the revolver and tucked it behind her waistband before throwing her arms around Seth's neck. An arm like an iron band encircled her and she giggled and kicked her feet as she was lifted into the air. As he set her down Seth reached around to take his gun from it's place behind her back and tucked it into his waistband. She could feel the warm steel against her stomach as he pressed her close and murmured into her hair. "Alright Katie, why don't you mow down the rest of these beer bottles with the shotgun and we can go back to the motel and finish that case." Seth was ready to get out of the sun, she was ready to get her hands on that shotgun. He moved away from her and turned to yell toward the car. "Hey Richie, grab the Defender outta the back."

Richie lay in the backseat of the car smoking a cigarette as he stared up at the ceiling, he had all of the doors open, not that it provided much relief in this sweltering heat. He sat up and flipped off his older brother. "And get a box of shells too." Grumbling he pulled himself from the backseat and slunk over to the trunk to retrieve the Winchester Defender and a box of cartridges. He spit his cigarette on the ground as he loped toward Kate, looking uncharacteristically unkempt and surly in the late afternoon sun. A white undershirt soaked in sweat clung to him and pieces of his hair hung down, sticking to his forehead. "Thank you Richie." She smiled up at him, trying to improve his mood, he looked down at her and shrugged listlessly. "You didn't have to come, you should've stayed at the motel and gotten some rest." He held out the shotgun to her, wiggling the pistol grip in her face rudely. She snatched the gun out of her face and grabbed a couple of shells from the box that Richie was holding. She was glad that he wasn't acting weird like he was in the car but she really didn't want to put up with this shit right now.

Leaning down he fingered a piece of her hair as he whispered in her ear, _"Maybe you should have stayed at the motel room with me and we could have played another game, huh Katie-Cakes?"_ He kissed the shell of her ear lightly and she broke out into goosebumps all over her body. Realizing that he was purposely trying to distract her she moved away from him so that she could concentrate.

Seth came closer to give her some pointers, this was her first time actually firing a shotgun. His hand ran along the length of the barrel before sliding under the stock. "Okay so this shotgun has a couple of mods, a pistol grip here on the stock," his hand enveloped hers, squeezing the grip, "and an extended magazine so it holds more rounds. The action is pretty fast, once the safety's off all you gotta do is pump and pull the trigger. It'll shoot as quick as you can do that." Seth twisted up a couple of squishy, orange foam earplugs and stuffed them into her ears then stepped back. She tried not to stiffen with anticipation of the recoil and took aim. _Click, click. BOOM._ Three bottles came apart all over the ground and she was thrilled. Before long there wasn't a target left standing and she hadn't even run through all of her ammo, the rush of adrenaline was incredible!

\--

The sun was down but it was still sweltering outside when they got back to the motel. All Kate wanted to do was take a shower but Seth made her clean all three guns before she could bathe or eat dinner. He sat by the table drinking beer while he watched her. When Richie emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam he took one look at them and laughed.

"Whoa Seth, you're turning into dad! "

"Fuck you Richard."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is nothing like learning to shoot from someone you want to get with.  
> Here's to target practice at the range with a great instructor.
> 
> I still remember my first time. He said my groupings were tight.


	14. The Sin in My Heart

_Jacob Fuller looked into his daughter's eyes with all of the love and adoration a father can possess. "I love you Katie-Cakes. I love you."_

_Her fingers tensed as she brought the wooden stake to bear, blinking back tears she stared down at him sorrowfully. "Daddy......" she choked, "I love you too." She wailed as her hands plunged the stake home._

Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes and she woke with that wail in her throat. She clenched her teeth, trying to trap the sound but another keening moan tore from her and she broke down. The bed shifted as Seth rolled over to take her into his arms, pressed against his chest tightly she let go, sobs wracking her body. The grief was both a throbbing ache in her belly and sharp agony in her chest. She could ignore the pain of her loss but it never lessened over time and when she let herself remember or got caught off guard it all came crashing back, leaving her just as broken as it had before.

After a while her sobs slowed until they became just a hitch in her throat. Kate lay in the dark, taking comfort in the feel of Seth's big arms around her, his body was an anchor bringing her back to the present. The bed shifted again as Richie moaned and rolled over, seeking out his brother's presence in his sleep. The mattress continued to jostle and shake until Richie pressed himself against Seth's back and he finally settled down. Curling an arm around his older brother's waist his hand slid between the two of them, coming to a rest upon Seth's stomach. Every so often she felt his fingers twitch against his brother's skin and soon he was snoring softly. She felt Seth begin to relax as he drifted off too. Sleep dragged at her eyelids but she refused to succumb, fear of the dreams awaiting her was enough to keep her awake. Suddenly she felt very alone.

"Seth.....do you think everything will work out for us?"

He twitched as she pulled him back from the edge of sleep. "Uhhn?....Oh....yeah, Richie and I have pulled dozens of jobs together and they all worked out just fine." He stroked her hair soothingly, brushing strands back from her forehead with his thumb. "Well, except that last one, but we can blame _that_ on Carlos and his psychotic late girlfriend."

.........."Yeah, I actually wasn't talking about the job."

His chest expanded against her and he sighed into the darkness. _"I know."_

Kate waited for more but as the minutes dragged on in silence she couldn't leave it alone. "I'm not a little girl anymore Seth, I haven't been since the Twister, why can't you understand that? Richie gets it, he sees me for who I am now, not some ghost of the past."

Seth's body tensed and his hand stilled in her hair. "Yeah well, Richie _sees_ a lot of shit, you should talk to him about ghosts."

She pushed his big arm off and sat up, glaring at him through the dark. "Oh Seth, don't be cruel. What I'm saying is that I know how terribly evil the world can be and it's changed me. The wide eyed, Bible-thumping, preacher's daughter, that just isn't me anymore. That girl is gone Seth, she was just a mirage that's faded into obscurity. Richie understands that and he doesn't try to keep me in a role that is no longer relevant to the life I want to lead." Richie stirred on the other side of Seth, Kate thought about shaking him awake so that he could help her talk some sense into his older brother.

"Alright! I know you're not a little girl anymore!" She heard the scratchy sound of Seth running a hand over the stubble on his chin, a quirk he had when choosing his words carefully instead of letting them tumble from his mouth haphazardly."After everything we put you through on the way to Mexico, draggin you into that Hell Hole titty club for a lap dance of doom. And me, leaving you in there with the Snakes..........why are you still here Kate? Why don't you hate my guts?"

Anger welled up within her. Maybe she should hate him, but he had to know that she couldn't. "Like it or not we're a family. A broken, messed up, sad excuse for a family. But, God damn it, we got love for each other, don't we?" Seth grunted like she had just hit him in the gut as he recognized his own words being spat back in his face. A speech he delivered to the Fuller family that cursed night they had entered the Twister, it seemed like a lifetime ago. "Love and forgiveness. That's how you get through the day, right? So, here goes Seth. I may have, at one time, blamed you for dragging my family into the Twister but I forgave you. It was my choice to forgive you, I will no longer be a victim of that place. I want to be here now, with you. And Richie."

"Listen Kate, every family has secrets, especially our sad excuse for-"

"For fuck's sake Seth! I know you and Richie are lovers."

......... _"Shit."_

With that Seth rolled over his brother roughly and stood up out of bed. "What the fuck?" Richie punched at his brother in the dark but Seth was already yanking on a pair of jeans from the floor halfway to the door. "Seth what did you do?" Kate squeezed her eyes shut as sudden brightness filled her vision.

Seth turned to regard his brother from across the room, his eyes blinking in the sudden light. "What did _I do?_ Richard, she knows about us and somethin tells me you don't find that very surprising." Richie tried to hide his grin as he fumbled his glasses from their perch on the headboard.

Kate's heart ached as she watched Seth stomp his feet into his boots, heading for the door. "Come on, have you honestly never considered that I already knew? You two love each other, way beyond the brotherly kind of love. I don't know why I didn't figure it out sooner, you're always going out together for a cigarette and you almost never smoke, Seth. You spoon when you're sleeping!" He turned to regard her, his brown eyes tight at the corners and she grinned, trying to relieve the tension. "What is one more sin added to a list so long it could shame the Devil?" She swallowed thickly, working up her nerve. "Come back to bed Seth. I have something to confess." He turned hesitantly and came back to her.

Richie rolled across the bed to kneel next to her on the mattress, leaning down he whispered in her ear, _"You can make your confession to me Kate, it could be our little secret."_ She shivered under his gaze, his blue eyes had a ferocious gleam in them. He winked at her and bit his lower lip, smirking.

 _"But Richie, we already have a little secret and I think that one is enough."_ She felt her cheeks color as she whispered back, grinning smugly.

"Alright Princess," Seth stood at the edge of the bed looking down at her as she knelt before him on the mattress, "confess."

She felt a bit dizzy with Richie bare in his boxers and so close beside her as she looked up at Seth. Refusing to back down she kept her chin up and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I love you.......both of you." Her heart was pounding hard in her chest. "So now you know the sin in my heart."

"Kate....." Seth said her name like a prayer.

"Don't Seth, don't say it."


	15. Shame the Devil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This gets pretty raunchy. I shook my head at myself as I wrote some of these lines but they're in there.
> 
> Okay.......deep breath.

Kate grasped the bottom edge of her t-shirt with shaky hands and pulled it over her head, baring the soft, pale swell of her breasts. It took everything she had not to yank the covers up over her nakedness as she knelt in the middle of the mattress. Seth stood at the edge of the bed fingering the stitches in his lip lightly as his eyes traced every line of her trembling body. A grin played across his lips as his gaze settled appreciatively on the delicate black lace of her panties. Richie sat close beside her on the bed, his ravenous lust was so powerful she could feel it radiating on her bare skin and she found herself fighting the urge to shy away from his fierce attention.

Unable to hold himself back any longer Richie took what he wanted, his hands gripped her waist and he pulled her to him roughly. Shock at being manhandled soon melted away as he grabbed the back of her head and pushed his mouth down onto hers. It was not gentle and it was not sweet like the kiss they had shared so long ago in the Titty Twister. This kiss held all of the powerful wanting that Richard had felt since that fateful moment he had first laid eyes on her, floating in a pool, surrounded by blood. He licked at her aggressively and when her lips parted in response he claimed her mouth, pushing his tongue in to slide along hers. As she abandoned herself to his exploration of her mouth her hands moved of their own accord, running circles over the sleek expanse of his muscular chest then trailing down across the hard planes of his washboard stomach. She felt a thrill as his muscles twitched against her fingers in response to her touch. A shiver ran through her as he dominated her pert breasts with his large hands, kneading them earnestly. He broke from her mouth breathing heavily, then leaned down to run the tip of his nose along the shell of her ear whispering, _"Kate, don't you want big brother to join in?"_

She peeked over Richie's shoulder at Seth. He was standing with his arms crossed over his broad chest watching them appreciatively, still keeping his distance. Untangling herself from Richie she crept across the bed on all fours, Seth's eyes weighed on her as she came to kneel like a supplicant before him. "You got your balls on?" Kate grinned and arched her eyebrow.

"Screwed on tight."

She let out a yelp as he slid his arms between her legs and scooped her from the bed like she weighed nothing. Her fingers twined in his silky locks as he held her straddled on his biceps, she could feel the tenseness of his muscles under her thighs as he held her up, pressing her close with a steady hand on her back. Nuzzling his face to her stomach he placed his lush lips just above the edge of her panties, his stubble scratched against her belly as he flicked his tongue into her navel and trailed it up along her ribs, she shivered with delight. Slowly he slid her down against his thick frame and ran the tip of his nose along the under curve of each breast. A moan escaped her as his hot breath washed over her stiff little nipple, he lapped his tongue wetly across the rosy tip of her tit, nipping at it just a bit.

Finally he lowered her knees back to the bed and wrapped her in his arms, pressing her close to him. Her heart tried to hammer it's way out of her chest as he tipped her chin up with a rough hand and kissed her. She could feel the tiny knot of stitches in the middle of his soft, delicious bottom lip as he pressed his mouth to hers urgently. His tongue darted out to lick her top lip and when she opened her mouth in surprise he delved into her, flicking the tip of her tongue with his. She wondered if that was how Seth and Richie kissed each other too, until his exploration of her mouth swept the thought from her mind and she melted in his arms. Richie pressed his sleek, hot body against her back, his heat radiating across her skin. His long, lithe form practically enveloped her small frame, pressing her tightly against Seth. She could feel his stiff hard on pushed up against her rear. Seth pulled back from her panting heavily, he stared over her shoulder at his brother.

"Hey Richie, c'mere."

Richie leaned in over her shoulder and Seth parted his lips to accept his tongue. The urgency of their kiss was incredibly heated and so close, Kate worried for a moment that she might faint, sandwiched as she was between them. As Richie pumped his tongue into his brother's mouth Seth grabbed handfuls of her ass, palming her and stroking the exposed curve of her cheeks beneath her panties. Richie's fingers glided over her skin, moving slowly down along her abdomen to tease the hemline of her lace underwear. His hands left her briefly and she gasped as she felt the smooth, hot tip of Richie's penis as he dragged it along the inside of her thigh, he ran it along the hemline of her panties, popping the head in and out. It drove her crazy and her hips bucked backward in response. "Richie please, I need more." He licked the seam of stitches in Seth's lip roughly before pulling away from his brother. She broke into goosebumps as Richie grabbed a handful of her hair and ran his nose along the back of her neck, inhaling deeply.

"Oh Katie-Cakes, I thought you'd never ask. You know, as much as I like these," he reached down and grabbed her through her panties, rubbing his finger against her clit, "they're in my way so they've got to go." He tugged her underwear down to her knees then lay down and removed his glasses before sliding his face beneath her. She couldn't help but giggle out loud as Richie's hair tickled the inside of her thigh, though she cut off short when he grasped her hips and brought her wet slit down onto his mouth. Her eyes went wide and her body trembled at the feeling of Richie's soft, wet tongue sliding up her clit. She clung to Seth as Richie held her hips firmly in place and showed her the meaning of the term, "eat pussy".

As she held to Seth's solid body she could feel the muscles of his arm flexing, looking down she saw him stroking his hard on through the thick fabric of his jeans. "Seth...." His dark eyes found hers. She knew her face was turning red as she rushed the words out, "Why don't you let me help you?" Biting her lip she slid a slim hand beneath his to press on his dick through his pants.

"Oh you want that?" Looking down at her he lifted his chin arrogantly and grasped at her hand, squeezing it tightly around his bulge.

She grinned at his cockiness and nodded. "Yes, I do. But I kind of need you to do something with these." Her finger hooked in the waistband of his pants. 

His fingers flew down to tear at the button of his jeans and he yanked them off quickly, along with his boxers. Kate's breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight of his fully erect cock, swollen and standing up heavily from a dark patch of pubic hair. Though she had seen Seth's penis once before, the night she had spied him and Richie in the bathroom, she was still a bit shocked to see it up close! _Okay Kate, don't get shy now! It's only Seth. And Richie._ Her tongue darted out to lap up a small, salty bead of precum leaking from his slit. He inhaled as she licked him again, she looked up to watch his eyes roll back and flutter closed momentarily. As her tongue circled his tip his eyes snapped open again, staring down at her intently. She slowly pushed his head past her lips, swirling her tongue around it and flicking the tip. She felt pressure on her opening as Richie slid a careful finger just inside of her along with his tongue and she moaned on Seth's cock. He placed a hand on the back of her head, trying not to shove her down onto his dick as she began sucking him in the same rhythm that Richie was using inside of her. "Yeah that's good baby girl. Oh fuck! That's...... real....fuckin good." Seth breathed a continuous stream of curses and colorful phrases as she took more of him in, quickening her pace on his cock. Richie stuffed his nose into her clit and shook his head violently, her muscles turned to water suddenly and she pitched forward on Seth's penis. The muscles in her throat contracted at the sudden intrusion and she backed off of Seth, gagging and choking. Her eyes watered and she coughed as she tried to catch her breath.

"Whoa Princess, take it easy! Let's save those maneuvers for the pros, huh?" Seth swiped a strand of saliva from her chin with his big thumb, smiling down at her. Her cheeks burned red but soon any embarrassment she felt was washed away in a wave of pure pleasure as Richie buried his nose in her clit and shook his head again. The tight little muscles of her pussy clenched around his tongue and she fell forward, clinging to Seth for support as she came. Hard. Wetness trickled down her thighs and she heard a rude slurping sound as Richie licked at her. Once his hunger was satisfied he slid from beneath her, panting loudly. Every muscle in her body went limp and she collapsed, she would have fallen off the bed if Seth hadn't been there to support her. "Alright Katie, let's get up on this bed."

Seth lifted her from the edge of the bed and laid her head on a pillow near the middle of the mattress. Richie stirred from where he lay catching his breath, dragging himself up the bed he shoved Seth out of the way so he could settle in next to her. He propped himself up on an elbow looking down at Kate smugly, circling his fingers around her navel. Seth stretched out behind his brother, pressing himself against his back. Richie's smug little grin turned into a full blown smile as Seth kissed his way up the back of his neck. He looped a thick arm around his little brother, his hand trailing down the hard planes of Richie's stomach. Even though she had just cum all over Richie's face she felt the urge again as she watched Seth's big hand grasp Richie's dick. He squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled loudly as Seth began to stroke the length of his stiff pink erection, his hips started rocking as he fucked himself into Seth's hand roughly.

"Kate." She jumped when she heard her name, suddenly feeling dirty at the enjoyment she was getting from watching the Gecko brothers back in action. "Katie, do me a favor sweetheart? Go get Richie's bag and bring it over here." _Oh, that kind of favor! Okay._

She slid from the bed just as Richie began to moan. Tiptoeing her way across the carpet she snagged Richie's bag from it's corner of the room and raced back to bed with it, jumping in. Sliding back next to Richie she handed him the bag. He unzipped a pocket and slid his hand inside, coming away with a string of condoms and a small bottle of clear gel, then he tossed the bag to the floor and handed Seth the lube and the condoms. Seth tore one off and tossed the rest to the foot of the bed as he began pushing up on Richie's tight backside.

"Wait! Who is that condom for?" Kate sat up looking over Richie at Seth.

"Well, it depends on what you mean sweetheart. Do you mean am I gonna use this condom to fuck Richie?" Seth shoved himself hard against his brother, "Or do you mean am I gonna use this condom to slide up into you? The choice is yours." Her breath hitched in her throat as he caught her gaze, holding her eyes with his dark, heated stare.

Kate did want it. Bad. But nervousness overcame her and she began panicking. "But if we.....I don't know if I can......." She took a breath to steady herself, "How is this even going to work?"

"Relax sweetheart." Seth smiled widely, trying to calm her nerves. 

Leaning down he whispered secretively in Richie's ear, his little brother's eyes went wide and he turned his face toward Seth's. "Really? I'll hold you to it." Seth nodded and pressed his lips close, whispering too quietly for Kate to hear and his little brother's face lit up.

The smile slid off his face as Seth ground his hips against him roughly, his hand picking up speed as he pumped Richie's stiff length. Kate's hand drifted down between her legs, her fingers rubbed circles over her clit while she sat up watching them together. Richie's eyes squeezed shut and his chest heaved as he squirmed and bucked under his brother's attention. "Yeah, that's it, come on baby brother." Seth growled into his brother's ear then nipped and tugged at his lobe with neat, white teeth. Richie tensed, the muscles in his stomach going taut as he gasped while Seth stroked him through his orgasm. Cum, thick and white spilled over the back of Seth's hand and across Richie's stomach, he lay there panting for a minute. As he began to rise Seth grabbed his shoulder and pushed him back down roughly. "Here, clean up after yourself." He shoved his hand in Richie's face and his brother stared up at him as he obediently opened his mouth to drag his tongue up the back of Seth's hand, lapping up the cum. "There you go, that looks good." Once the mess on his hand had been licked clean Seth released his brother. Richie sat up and grabbed Kate's chin, pulling her close. He pressed his silky soft lips to hers for a gentle kiss before pushing his tongue into her. Kate's eyes went wide with shock as the salty taste of his cum flooded into her mouth and she tried to pull back but he had her chin in a firm grip. Slowly she relaxed and let him swirl his tongue around her mouth before releasing her, she swallowed, thickly.

"I figured it was only fair since I've had a taste of you." He winked at her then rolled off the bed, she stared at the tight curve of his ass as he sauntered toward the bathroom.

Seth tore his eyes from his brother to turn his gaze on her. Arching his eyebrow at the hand she had stuffed into her crotch he smiled, "Oh you like that?" For a moment she felt shame envelope her but when he sat up to loom over her in the bed she realized that it was lust, not shame that heated her. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her effortlessly from the bed, settling her down in his lap. They sat with his stiff erection pressed to his stomach between them. He pushed her closer so her clit was shoved against the length of his thick shaft and began rocking his hips. The feeling of his hard on rubbing firmly against her most sensitive area was almost too much and she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly to keep from fainting backward onto the mattress. His thick arms encircled her and they sat pressed skin to skin, rocking against each other. Kate felt her pleasure beginning to build again and she squirmed against him, needing more.

Seth leaned in close to her ear, breathing heavily. "Are you ready for me?" He grabbed her ass and pushed her pussy against his solid length roughly then slid his hand beneath her, slipping one big finger carefully inside her. "Mmmm, you are soaking wet sweetheart." She gasped as he wiggled another finger in, stretching her a bit. The roughness of his fingers was a thrilling sensation as they pushed into her, sitting just inside her throbbing slit.

"Please Seth........ I need you now. You've made me wait so long for this!"

He squeezed his arm around her and rose from his seat on the mattress, laying her back on the bed, he pressed himself down on top of her. Cupping her face he leaned down to kiss her gently, the press of his swollen lips against hers was delicious. A sudden urge overtook her and she licked his top lip aggressively, Seth made a sound like a growl deep in his throat and opened his mouth to devour her tongue. She could feel the shaft of his hard dick against her thigh and she rolled her hips toward him, wanting to feel it inside of her. "Whoa, hold on there Princess! We're missing somethin'." He pulled back and ran his hand over the mattress, searching. He snatched up the forgotten condom and tore it open with his teeth impatiently, spitting the wrapper to the side, then he rolled the prophylactic down his length with a practiced hand. A wave of panic gripped her as she really took in the sight of Seth's thick dick, and she had to fight the urge to slam her thighs closed. He caught the look on her face and his hand groped about the bed, grabbing the bottle of lube that Richie had retrieved from his bag. "It's okay baby girl, I've got you." Squeezing some of the clear gel into his palm he slicked it up the length of his cock.

Seth lowered himself over Kate, resting his forehead against hers, his hot breath washed over her as she stared into his dark, depthless eyes. She felt pressure on her opening and her back arched as he pushed his tip into her, wiggling it gently as he worked to get his whole head in. Gasping, she clung to his back as he stretched her tight little cunt on the head of his penis. There was an incredible burning sensation that accompanied the stretching and she was grateful as he stilled himself, taking time to let her adjust to his girth. The corners of his eyes were tight and she could feel the tension in his rock solid body as he held himself back from thrusting into her. After a while she began to squirm against him, wriggling his cock a little further in and he pressed forward obligingly. Slowly he began rocking his hips, pushing himself a little bit deeper into her with each motion. She hissed through clenched teeth and dug her fingers into the thick muscles of his back as pain stabbed through her loins. Seth paused but she grasped his hips tightly and pulled him deeper into her, wanting to feel his whole length inside her. The pain quickly gave way to aching pleasure and she rolled her hips up to meet his next thrust. His eyes rolled back and his nostrils flared as he buried himself to the hilt in her.

He grabbed her hips and held her tightly on his erection as he knelt between her legs, arching his back in ecstasy. "Oh Katie, you are so. fuckin. tight." Her eyes widened as he punctuated each word with a thrust of his hips. With his cock buried so far up inside of her each thrust rubbed his tip across an extremely sensitive spot, deep in her pussy. Her thighs began to shake as wave after wave of pleasure wracked through her. He began backing out a little further with each thrust until he was sliding almost his whole length in and out of her. As he sped up his rhythm Seth grabbed her thighs and threw her legs up around his waist. She dug her heels into his rock solid ass, delighting in the way his muscles contracted as he pumped deeply into her. He slid a hand down her sweaty stomach as he rode her and rubbed his thumb against her clit, her body tensed, her back arching up off the bed. "Oh fuck. Hold on sweetheart, I'm nearly there." His jaw clenched and his breath came in ragged gasps as the motion of his deep thrusting became more urgent. He shuddered violently and Kate felt Seth's cock throb inside her, it sent her over the edge. A wave of white hot ecstasy overwhelmed her and she cried out as the muscles of her pussy spasmed tightly around Seth's throbbing penis, thrusting her hips forward she rode out their orgasms. He pumped her a couple more times before backing out slowly, carefully holding the condom in place as he slipped free. 

Seth placed a tender hand against her cheek and leaned down to press his lips to her forehead. He sighed as he rolled off, flopping down onto his back. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders he pulled Kate to him, she could feel his heartbeat pounding against her cheek a she rested her head on his heaving chest. His fingers ran along her arm lazily, the sensation made her body tingle and she began to relax as she listened to his heart rate slow.

 _Flick, flick._ She heard the familiar sound of Richie's lighter and she sat up, staring at him from across the room. He was sprawled in one of the motel room's hard worn chairs, still naked, puffing on a cigarette. Now that she wasn't preoccupied Kate noticed a heavy haze in the room and, looking at his near empty pack on the table next to him, she realized that he must have been sitting there, chain smoking for a while. "Richie, have you been watching us this whole time?"

He took a long drag from his cigarette and blew a couple of smoke rings up toward the ceiling before answering, "I think it's kind of a moot point after the juicy snack I just had." He waggled his eyebrows at her, licking his lips lewdly. Seth shook with laughter in the bed beside her and she elbowed him in the ribs, eliciting another deep chuckle. She sighed exasperatedly, _Well, he does have a point._

"Well, don't you think it's time to come back to bed now?" After all of the close contact Kate still craved his touch.

Taking one last pull from his cigarette he stubbed it out in the already overflowing ashtray and sauntered across the room. He flipped the light switch before climbing into bed to press himself to her back, draping an arm over her. As Kate lay stretched out between the brothers she felt Richie groping in the dark, he let out a little sigh as he found Seth's hand and they folded their fingers together, resting their hands upon her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I'm going out for a smoke. You can join me if you'd like.


	16. A rude awakening. Unexpected visitors.

Sunlight peeked through the curtains, insisting that she awaken but Kate wasn't ready to start her day. She squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on the rise and fall of Seth's chest beneath her cheek and listened to his heartbeat, slow and steady like his breathing. Her hand twitched against his stomach, she wanted to run her fingers over the solid ridges of his abs but she was afraid that if she moved the quiet spell of the morning would be broken. Richie snored softly into her hair, he was pressed against her back with an arm circled around her waist, holding her tight against him and sometime during the night he had hooked a leg over her hip. Her small body was practically enveloped by his larger frame, it made her feel cozy and safe. Kate lay there reveling in the feeling of their bodies pressed against hers, she thought her heart might burst with the overwhelming love that she felt for each of them.

After a while Kate began to stir, though being wedged between the brothers was intimate and intoxicating she needed to get up. _"Richie."_.........Nothing. 

_"Richie!"_ She whispered again and pushed against his big leg with her hip, trying to wake him without disturbing his brother. Seth could be a real bear in the morning, especially if he was woken up without coffee. Richie continued to snore softly, the arm he had circled around her waist was becoming a weight she couldn't bear. _"Richie, PLEASE! I need to pee!"_ She hissed at him desperately and tried wiggling out from under him, it was a futile effort. His snoring stopped but he still lay there motionless so Kate dug her elbow into his ribs.

Richie shifted, whispering in her ear, _"Oh you need to pee do you?"_ Suddenly his hands were on her, fingers spidering across her hips.

 _"No Richie! NO!"_ Kate pleaded under her breath as he began tickling her, she squirmed and giggled beneath him. "I mean YES! I have to pee, you're," her laughter was uncontrollable, "gonna make me pee the bed! Stop!" Seth groaned on the bed beside her and they both froze until he rolled over with his back to them breathing deep, easy breaths. _"You're gonna make me pee the bed and wake your brother up! Cut it out!"_ Kate hissed at him. She continued to writhe beneath him as he tormented her one last time before releasing her, then he rolled onto his back and folded his arms behind his head.

Kate sat up quickly before he changed his mind about letting her go and her cheeks heated as she looked down at his sleekly muscled body, Richie was a beautiful creature. She eyed his lips hungrily, they had a natural pout to them that made kissing him an absolutely delicious experience and she resisted the urge to do so now, barely. Kate's fingers ached to trace a line from his chest straight down past his navel, the smooth expanse of his toned, taut belly was begging for her hands to be on him. Her eyes went wide as they fell on the length of his shaft, he was beginning to get hard as he lay there, looking up at her. She cocked an eyebrow at him in question and he smiled, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. "Can you blame me? You're basically eye fucking me right now! Besides, I've slept with my dick crushed up against your beautiful, naked ass all night." He let out a little laugh, "You're lucky you didn't have more of a rude awakening."

 _"What could possibly be more rude than almost making me wet the bed?"_ A spark lit in his blue eyes and she immediately regretted asking.

"I could flip you over and show you Katie but I thought you had to pee." He arched an eyebrow and her cheeks heated again, she was sure her face must be completely crimson. Why must he always try to get a rise out of her?

Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing she was feeling bashful Kate resisted the urge to yank the covers over her as she looked down, trying to figure out a way to climb over him with any semblance of modesty. Realizing there was no "good" option, she decided to take a page from his book and pretend she didn't care about her nudity. She casually threw a leg over him and tried to ignore the press of his penis against her thigh. Unable to help himself his hand shot up and he tickled along her rib cage which sent her into convulsions as she fell on top of him, laughing. Soon her merriment faded as she felt his erection harden, pressed against her inner thigh. She squeezed her eyes shut, breathing heavily as she nuzzled her face against his chest, running her lips over his silky skin. _"Kate."_ Richie whispered softly into her hair.

Her hips rolled against him at the sound of her name. _"Yes Richie."_

_"I'm into a lot of kinky shit, you'll find out when I think you're ready sweetheart, but a golden shower just isn't my thing. Go pee, I promise I won't tickle you again."_

She sat up abruptly, scowling down at him, "Well you started it!" Richie held his hands up in clear view, laughing loudly as she climbed off of him and slipped from the bed. Seth rolled over, his hand groping blindly until his fingers closed on Kate's pillow, he socked his brother with it, groaning his disapproval at being woken up. Kate decided that now would be a good time to take a shower, before Seth became conscious enough to tear into Richie, she snatched her bag from the floor and rushed into the bathroom.

As she stood relaxing under the hot stream of water pouring from the showerhead Kate's mind wandered, thinking about how things were going to be different between the three of them now. Hopefully life with the Gecko brothers would be easier, now that she had made her feelings known and they had accepted her. She jumped as door banged open then slammed shut loudly.

"You're not going to improve Seth's mood any by slamming doors like that. Did you come in to join me?" Her cheeks heated as she said the words but a shower with Richard Gecko just might be a perfect start to the day.

"Now that would be some freaky shit! But judging by what you've got going on with the Gecko boys I guess freaky is the kinda shit you're into these days Kate." Her heart froze in her chest at the sound of her brother's voice and she peered around the edge of the shower curtain. Scott stood leaning casually against the door, his face lit up in a rueful smile when he saw her peeking out at him. The door shook with a thud and Scott held it shut effortlessly, the Gecko brother's vain attempt at breaking through was no match for his superhuman culebra strength.

"I thought that if we did this job for Carlos then he would leave u-"

"No Kate, he said if the _Gecko brothers_ do the job we'll leave you alone. No one said anything about you working with them, why would Carlos want an amateur like you pulling a job for him anyway?"

"Well, I'm learning a lot from Seth and Richie and they're the ones doing most of the work so there's really no chance of me screwing it up. How are you here now? Don't you, uh, don't you..... burn up in the sun now?" Her voice shook nervously as she peeked out at him from the shower. The door shook again but Scott paid it no mind. Laughing at her question he yanked the hood of his black sweatshirt up to cover his head, there was a black bandanna around his neck and he pulled it up too so that only his eyes were peeking out. He looked like some sort of bank robbing ninja.

Scott pulled the hood and bandanna back down and arched an eyebrow at her. "Seriously Kate, I'm way better at taking care of myself then you or dad ever gave me credit for." 

_"KATE! What's going on in there, talk to me sweetheart."_ There was a frantic tone to Seth's voice as he called to her followed by another thud that rattled the door on it's hinges. Kate sighed, _He's going to hurt himself trying to get through that door._ She ducked back into the shower and turned the water off, then she very carefully reached an arm around the shower curtain to snatch her towel from the rack. Her toes curled against the cold tile of the floor as she came across the bathroom to stand before Scott, leaving little puddles in her wake.

The door shook behind Scott again and she heard Seth let go a colorful stream of curses. _"Listen to me you little shit, if she comes outta there with any bumps or scrapes I've got a stake with your name on it!"_

Scott snickered and spoke to her softly, "Well, if I turned you any bumps or scrapes would be gone by the time you left this room. What a stupid prick!" 

"I'm okay Seth," she called to him, "just catching up with my little brother. Nothing to worry about alright?" The pounding on the door stopped. "Is that why you're here now Scott, are you going to turn me?" Her heart hammered in her chest, if he was going to turn her there was nothing she could do about it and no one to save her.

His hand shot out and he grabbed her arm, jerking her to him roughly, he pressed her close so that he could speak quietly in her ear. "Kate, _please just listen to me._ This job is not for you, just sit back and let the Gecko brothers do their thing." He sounded panicked as he spoke to her fervently and his hand tightened painfully on her arm, she tried to pull away but he had her in an iron grip.

"Scott, what is really going on? Is there something about this job that you're not telling me?" He grimaced, she could tell Scott was hiding something. He didn't want her on that job for reasons she couldn't begin to fathom but he just shook his head, and kept his mouth shut. "Well unless you can give me a reason then I guess I'll be working the job. Look, I get it. Your loyalty is to your _master._ " She spit the word at him with all of the venom she could muster. "My loyalties lie with the Gecko brothers, I won't betray them and I won't leave them. Our fates are tied." He flinched like she had just slapped him across the face and his eyes fell to the floor in despair.

Scott released his grip but before she could pull away he circled his arms around her. Kate was so shocked at the unexpected display of affection that she let herself be pulled into the hug. She wrapped her arms around him to hug him back and buried her face in his shoulder, he smelled familiar, like home. There was also an underlying tang of something metallic and coppery. The scent of blood. "Kate," he sighed into her hair, "I'm so sorry about how everything went down. I'm sorry about dad, I really am. I thought I was protecting him." His voice broke and she felt his chest heave against her but she didn't say anything to antagonize him, she was crying too. "I just wish that for once in your life you would listen to me, let Richie and Seth take care of this job, stay out of it. But I understand, we each have a new family now and I don't expect you to betray yours like I did mine." He took a deep breath and squeezed her tight then his arms came away and she let go of him reluctantly.

Scott put his hands on her shoulders, holding her eyes with a dark, soulful stare. "Just try to keep your head down when the shit hits the fan, okay?" She nodded, afraid that if she spoke it would bring her to tears again and he gave her a sad smile before turning to open the door.

Seth stood immediately in front of the doorway holding a wooden stake before him, every muscle tense. He was ready to do violence. His eyes searched her body, looking for any sign that she had been hurt, Kate smiled and shook her head to reassure Seth that she was okay and he heaved a sigh of relief. Richie waited for Scott to exit the bathroom before he slammed him into the wall, holding a stake poised above his heart. He glared murder down at Scott as he tried to crush him into the wall with his arm barred across his neck.

"Hey, don't stake the messenger!" Scott croaked through his constricted windpipe and grinned up at Richie's face.

Richie pulled Scott forward and slammed him back into the wall violently, her brother's head bounced off the sheetrock, leaving an impression in the wall. "Well now that you're done terrorizing Kate why don't you go ahead and give us that message. Maybe if I like what you have to say I won't stake you." His cold voice was a quiet contrast to his enraged demeanor. She stepped from the bathroom, carefully pressing her towel to her chest with one hand, her other hand she placed on Richie's arm to keep him from plunging that stake into her brother.

"He just wanted a moment alone with his sister, I'm okay Richie, really. Please let him go." His arm tensed beneath her hand and she was certain that he was going to bury the stake in her brother's heart but then he backed off, still keeping his guard up, stake at the ready.

"Well?" Seth came over to join them, stepping between Kate and her brother so that Scott stood with his back to the wall, flanked by a stake bearing Gecko on either side.

Scott smiled and folded his arms across his chest, just having a casual conversation with old friends. "Okay, so we've noticed that you've been getting pretty close to the border and Carlos was wondering about your plan to cross. He doesn't want you getting thrown into prison before you serve your intended purpose. He wants you to get passports and cross over legally, well you know what I mean."

"Yeah, just one problem, official documents like that take the kinda cash that we ain't got. Your boss wanna cough up the extra dough we need?" Seth moved closer, looming over Scott.

"You don't need the extra cash, Carlos has a guy that owes him a favor."

\--

Looking at the tacky art hanging on the walls he immediately regretted his need to be here. Who would be stupid enough to get inked in a shithole like this? Well, he was actually. One excessively drunken night, not long after their escape from the Titty Twister, he had found himself in a shithole much like this one. When he had woken up the next morning and peeled the bandage off he had been relieved to see that his newly acquired tattoo was just a continuation of his flame patterned sleeve. He had half expected to see some stupid heart with an arrow punched through it, and maybe a banner that declared, _Richie_ running across the whole thing, right on his neck for the world to see. It was the sort of thing his brother would have found infinitely amusing.

"Looking to get some ink?" He heard a door close behind him and a woman's smokey voice pulled him from his reverie.

He snapped irritably, "I'll pass. If I was lookin to catch an infectious disease I'd hire a Mexican whore. I'm actually here to get something else from you." Rounding on the woman he briefly felt a twinge of embarrassment at his rudeness. She was hot! Another time, maybe even a mere week ago, he would have given her his thorough consideration but not today.

"Ouch! Okay well, what is it that you want to get from me?"

In spite of his harsh words a small smile played across her lips as she very openly studied him. There was a sultry look in her eye as sauntered toward him, a look that Seth was all too familiar with, normally it would pique his interest, today it just spelled trouble. She stood close enough to kiss, her perfume was a heady mix of floral and musk, the kind of scent that made you want to find a dark corner for doing dirty deeds. _Sorry sister, this Gecko ain't interested._ His eyes didn't linger on the chestnut hair that fell in waves over her shoulders, framing sun kissed cheeks and smoky brown eyes. He preferred green eyes himself. He certainly didn't notice the way her shirt hung open, exposing the curve of her breasts in a lacy red bra or those long, athletic legs, clad in black thigh high stockings. _For fuck's sake Scott, couldn't you have at least told me that Carlos' guy was actually a girl?_

"Carlos sent me, he says you owe him a favor."

She grimaced and shook her head, looking him up and down. "Well this is unexpected. So you're one of _them_ huh? Seems like a waste for such a pretty face." _He had a pretty face?_ Seth had been called a lot of things by a lot of women but he couldn't recall "pretty" being one of them.

Seth chuckled and tucked a hand into his jacket. "Relax, he's just an acquaintance, not a _blood relative._ " He held up three photos for her to see. "I need passports, can you do it?"

"Oh, so that's it?" She sauntered back over and plucked the photos from his hand. "Easy-peasy. Where's the cash?"

"No cash. He says you owe him, by definition you've already been paid." He grinned, _can't blame her for tryin'._ "How long is it gonna take you?"

There was a flash of surprise as she looked down at the photos but she quickly schooled her face to calmness. "I can have these done by tomorrow. Who's the little girl?" She arched her eyebrow at him dubiously.

"Just a little girl." His jaw clenched in irritation.

"I'm surprised you'd leave her alone with your brother." Seth's hand flew to clutch the grip of his revolver which was tucked into his waistband.

"Don't worry. Who am I to screw over a Gecko? I mean, it wouldn't be good for business would it?" She gave him a placating smile, but she had a look of mischief in her eye. "I hear Richie's the crazy one. That true?"

Seth turned away and headed for the door before he decked her. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait! You could just stay here, I've got a room in the back of the shop." Her voice held a hint of pleasures to come.

Seth grinned as he stepped through the door. "I'll pass. Like I said, if I was lookin to catch an infectious disease I'd hire a Mexican whore."


	17. Oh Baby You're a Dirty Girl!

"Tell me again how Seth is going to be okay with this?"

Kate stood in front of Richie, fidgeting nervously, she had never been any good at being bad. He cupped her chin, tipping her face up gently to peer down at her, his eyes were an impossible blue, sparkling behind the lenses of his glasses. Looking up at him she felt a calm wash over her as if he were projecting his quiet serenity onto her.

"He doesn't have to be okay with it. This is happening Kate, you need to get on board."

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to calm her nerves. "Okay, let's do this."

"Good girl." He leaned down for a quick kiss then they were moving.

She glanced over at Richie, looking sexy and svelte all buttoned up in his suit, he walked with a casual grace as they made their way across the parking lot. Dressed in a tank top, shorts and cowboy boots she felt a bit unkempt as she strolled next to him, but the sun was beating down mercilessly and she was glad that the Gecko brothers didn't enforce a dress code. It was simply too hot for all that. He reached out to take her hand as they walked together and she twined her fingers into his, feeling absolutely delighted and giddy like a teenager with a crush. She got the feeling that Richie didn't really have steady relationships with women the way that Seth did, there was a boyish charm in the way he treated their bond like it was a normal boyfriend/girlfriend affair when it was anything but.

They came to stand before a sleek, black car. Kate looked up at Richie, he had the same hungry look in his eye that he got when he was checking out his brother as he stared at the vehicle. _Wow, he's really hot for this car!_ Kate frowned concernedly, "Does it have to be this one? That guy driving it looked pretty dangerous, and his friend was a big as a moose!"

"Oh yeah," Richie licked his lips and stared at the car with all the enthusiasm of a kid on Christmas morning, "this is the one. You want to know how Seth is going to be okay with this? Have you ever seen him drooling over a muscle car?"

"Kind of like you're drooling over this one now? It's nice and all, but really Richie, it's just a car."

"This is a '67 Chevy Impala Kate! Not _just a car!_ I don't expect you to understand if you've never been behind the wheel but I've driven a '68 as a getaway for a couple of heists and believe me this thing can move like nobody's business! Now let's get this done before I have to prove myself in a fight against that moose."

He tucked his hand into his jacket an pulled out a long, flat metal rod with a little hooked part on the end and handed it to her. "Okay, so just slide that between the rubber strip......." She followed his instruction with minimal difficulty. "Good. Now get it hooked and pull up." Kate felt a thrill as the lock on the door popped, she smiled up at Richie but he was scanning the parking lot, making sure nobody was watching them. Once he was satisfied that they wouldn't be interrupted he opened the door and climbed inside, sliding over to the passenger seat so that she could go to work on the ignition.

A couple of weeks ago Seth had handed her a pocket knife out of the blue, stating that it was hers to keep. It was a dull silver and much lighter than she had expected, flipping it open revealed a sharp curved blade with _Kershaw_ stamped in small print near the handle. When she had inquired as to why he had given it to her he told her in a lecturing tone, _"A pocket knife is an invaluable tool, it can get you out of a tight spot in a pinch and it comes in handy for all kinds of things."_ He was right, she had found all sorts of uses for it since, including the task at hand. Kate popped the ignition and cut the wires free, studying them with a careful hand. She looked to Richie nervously, worried that this was taking too long and they were going to get caught.

"Just like I told you before sweetheart, these two," his deft fingers separated the wires, "keep it running, go ahead and twist them together. These other two start the car." Kate took the wires from him and went to work, when she heard the rev of the engine it sent her heart racing.

"HEY MAN, THAT'S MY CAR!" A gruff voice yelled from across the parking lot and Kate panicked as she looked up to see the two men she had spied earlier running toward them at full speed. She moved to switch seats with Richie but he smiled and wouldn't budge.

"Oh no, this is your first grand theft auto, you're driving!" He sat there stubbornly and laughed.

"Seriously Richard!?" The men were closing in on them, there was no more time for fooling around. Kate backed out of the parking spot and peeled out of the lot. She couldn't tell if it was Richie's infectious laughter or the rush of adrenaline but she found herself laughing too as they tore down the road. _Wow! This thing really can move like nobody's business!_

\--

Richie smiled as he looked over at Kate, her face was lit up like the sun as she sped down the road like a bat out of hell. He had stolen a lot of cars in his lifetime but he could still remember the thrill he felt at his first, Seth had popped his cherry with a white, 1970 Dodge Challenger. This would be a memory that Kate would always have, this was one cherry that Richard had popped and what a car for her to lose it to!

She switched on the stereo and winced as Asia's _Heat of the Moment_ came blaring through the speakers, she quickly turned it off. Kate had a pretty eclectic taste in music but Richie had never known her to be a great lover of 80's rock. Riffling through the contents of the dashboard compartment Richie found a gun, a Taurus with pearl grip plates, interesting. He also found an epic selection of classic rock cassette tapes though Kate grimaced at each title he read off until he got to Metallica, he popped in _Ride the Lightening_ and turned it up for her then piled all the contents back into the compartment, minus the gun, and closed it up.

Turning his gaze out the window he watched as the same, monotonous desert landscape flew by. Up ahead he could see a hitchhiker, thumbing their way down the road. As they passed the drifter time seemed to stand still and she turned her head to track him as he sped by, staring with empty, gaping sockets where her eyes should be. Richie squeezed his eyes shut and when he looked in the rear view mirror for her she was gone. _I know you're trying to mess with my head, and it's not gonna work. There's nothing wrong with me, and I won't for a second let you make me think there is. There is nothing wrong with me._

"Hey Richie, are you alright? Do you need me to slow down?" He realized that he was muttering under his breath and broke his gaze from the mirror to give her an amused smile.

"Nah, I was just thinking about how pissed Seth is going to be when he comes back to the car and finds the note we left him. Maybe we should wait to go back to the motel, let him get there first and cool down for a bit." The look she gave him said that she wasn't convinced, Richie had never really shown any fear or remorse at inciting his brother's anger but she let the lie stand.

They rode in silence and after a while Richie noticed that Kate kept looking at him out of the corner of her eye. _Oh great, I've gone and freaked her out and big brother isn't here to calm her down._ He knew that Kate loved him but he also knew that he still frightened her sometimes too. Richie shared an infinite, profound love with two people but they were constantly doubting his sanity, it was exhausting. He wondered if there would ever come a day when they would accept the truth of his reality.

Kate shifted in her seat, he noticed she had her thighs squeezed together tight and her hands were moving restlessly on the steering wheel. "Katie, do you need to pee? We're halfway to the motel, we've put enough distance between us and those guys, maybe you should find a place to pull over." She just cocked an eyebrow at him and returned her focus to the road, still squirming in her seat. They came up to a little side road and Kate veered off the pavement, kicking up gravel for about a mile or two before coming to a park a little ways off. He scanned the terrain, nothing and no one as far as the eye could see, not even a ghost.

"Alright Princess, do your thing, I promise I won't look."

One moment she was sitting in the driver's seat looking about and the next she was in his lap straddling him. Her hair fell around his face as she pressed her sweet little lips onto him, pushing her tongue in to twine about his. Her hips rolled against him and he grabbed her ass, fingers digging into her cheeks as he shoved her harder against his growing erection. Kate made a little noise in her throat and her fingers flew down the row of buttons of his shirt urgently, her hands were warm against his skin as she ran them along the expanse of his bare chest with wild abandon. He grabbed the bottom of her shirt and tried to pull it off but the confines of the front seat combined with his long limbs made it an impossible task.

"Kate," he said breathlessly as he pulled away, "why don't we move to the back?" She nodded in agreement and dove into the backseat.

Richie opened the door and stood up to strip off his suit methodically while Kate tore at her clothes in the backseat. She looked up at the jingle of his belt and bit her lip as she watched him slide his pants off, his dick sprang up immediately, he was ready for her.

Richie climbed into the backseat and pushed himself down on top of her. She grasped the back of his neck, rising up to meet him with an urgent kiss and bucked her hips against him, he began to thrust forward but stopped himself short. "Shit!"

Kate looked up at him, cheeks flushed and eyes glazed over with lust, "What Richie, what's wrong?" Unable to help herself she squirmed against him, impatient with the interruption.

"I need......oh wait a minute!" He separated himself from Kate and climbed to the front. Popping open the console again he rummaged through it's contents, cassette tapes cascaded to the floor as he frantically searched. _There!_ He knew he had seen the glimmer of a foil wrapped condom in his earlier exploration. He tore it open rolled the condom down his cock, it was a tight fit but it would work.

Before he could climb back on top Kate sat up, pressing her small hand against his chest she pushed him into a sitting position against the backseat and climbed into his lap. Richie grabbed her ass, holding her steady as she held herself over his cock, the heat radiating from her felt amazing as she pressed herself against his tip. She wiggled her hips, pushing down onto him, that little ring of muscle throbbed around the head of his dick and he swallowed thickly. It was all he could do not to grab her hips and shove her down hard onto him.

The perfect, pale expanse of her tits wiggled in front of his face enticingly as she worked his cock and he shoved his face forward into them greedily, knocking his glasses askew. He nuzzled her supple breasts, running his lips over the soft skin then dragged his tongue up along the curve to circle her delicate nipple. He pulled the hard little tip into his mouth, grazing it with his teeth gently and Kate's back arched in response. She rolled her hips against him, pushing down persistently. He gasped as she took his full length into her, she was so tight around him he was worried that he might not last much longer. Kate's body tensed against him and he looked up, concerned that he was hurting her. Her eyes were squeezed shut tight and she held a grip on his shoulders that was almost painful.

"Kate, are you okay? Do you need to stop?" A small smile crept across her lips and she pressed her forehead against his. When she opened her eyes the rush he felt was like diving off a cliff into an endless, emerald green ocean. She held his stare with the infinite vastness of her love and slowly, slowly, began rocking her hips against him. Her lips found his and for a while he was lost in the sweet softness of her kisses and the feel of being together so intimately.

Richie moaned as she began rolling her hips faster against him, he kept a firm grip on her buttocks, getting off on the feel of her muscles flexing as she worked him hard. Soon she was bouncing in his lap, rocking the car on it's struts as her body slammed into his over and over, Kate wailed at the top of her lungs, with no one else to hear she let go with wild abandon. It was hot in the car and she was coated in a fine sheen of sweat as she fucked him hard, it dripped down between her breasts and across her torso as she slid herself against his skin. Soon he could feel her pussy throbbing around his cock and he knew that she was close, as she brought her small frame down on him he thrust up into her hard. Her eyes went wide and she smiled ecstatically, laughing as she cried out, "OH, OH, RICHIE!" With that he let himself go, he gave her one final, forceful thrust and he came as she convulsed on top of him.

Breathing heavily she collapsed against his chest with him still inside of her. Richie wrapped his arms around her slight frame and hugged her to him tightly, he buried his face in her hair to shower her with kisses before resting his cheek on the top of her head. 

After a while she began to stir, the heat in the car was becoming unbearable and they were both already sweaty and hot from the sex. Kate sat up on his lap and he held onto the condom to keep it in place as she slowly pulled herself off of him. She flopped down onto the seat next to him with a thoroughly fucked smile of satisfaction on her face. Richie gazed down at Kate, she looked so small sitting there next to him, her hair was a sweaty mess and pieces of it were plastered to her forehead. She looked absolutely perfect.

"You know, I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love my brother but I do. I love you. I've known it for a while now, I don't know why I didn't say it sooner." She smiled up at him brightly, her white teeth flashing in the sun, it was genuine and beautiful. His heart ached, swollen up in his chest. "I love you Kate. Don't ever leave me."

\--  


Richie had told Kate that Seth was going be pissed at them when they finally returned to the motel and he was right. After enduring thirty minutes of nonstop bitching Richie had finally gotten his big brother to follow him out to the back of the motel where he and Kate had stashed the car. The look on Seth's face when he saw the Impala was one of sheer, mouthwatering lust. It was a rare and blissful moment of silence for his big brother.

"Uhhh, hey Richie, could you come here for a minute buddy?" Richie finished tightening the bolt for the license plate on their newly acquired car, he held onto the old Kansas plate as he walked around to where Seth was standing, looking down into the trunk. There was what looked to be a hidden compartment, inside there was a plethora of weapons and a myriad of oddities. Old leather bound books, ropes, and tools he didn't have a name for all neatly arranged for easy access. _Who needs that much salt?_

Seth rounded on him angrily. "Who the fuck did you steal this car from Richard?"

Richie grinned at his brother, "Well actually, Kate's the one that stole it."

"Don't get cute with me, this is some heavy duty shit. What kind of fuckin whack job is out lookin for this car right now?"

Plucking a wooden stake from the trunk he looked at it speculatively, "Maybe someone that has the same sort of problems that we do." He set the stake back in the compartment and tossed the license plate in with it. "This thing got a lock?" Seth nodded. "Does it still work or did you bust it all to hell?"

"Fuck you Richard."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, this isn't the beginning of some beautiful crossover, though now that I have the idea in my head it could be in another story.  
> Don't get bent out of shape, I love those boys as much as you do! I'm just having a little fun. I'll try to get Baby out of this without any bumps or scrapes, okay?


	18. Dante's Inferno

It was quiet in the motel room as Kate and Richie packed up their things. The silence was mostly due to Seth's absence, he had left early that morning to pick up their passports, grumbling something about coffee as he exited the room leaving them in relative peace. Kate stayed lost in her thoughts most of the morning, guilt at not telling Richie and Seth about Scott's warning was worming it's way through her gut but fear of being cut out of the job warred with her better senses.

"Shoot!" Kate shook her head and knelt to pick up the stack of papers that she had clumsily knocked to the floor, her nerves were on edge. Richie came over to kneel down beside her and began plucking pages from the grubby carpet, arranging them in careful order. He liked everything to be neat and in it's place. "What gives Princess? You seem a bit jumpy today."

Kate kept her eyes to the floor while she gathered the papers, she was a terrible liar and she could feel Richie's stare on her. "Oh nothing," she sighed, "I was just planning how I could pull a prison break if you and your brother get picked up at the border." She said it in jest but who wouldn't be nervous about crossing the border with two wanted fugitives?

"Relax Kate, the cops aren't really going be looking for us trying to get back _into_ the States after we've already made our escape. That would be a real jackass move." She laughed at that but soon fell quiet, feeling rotten for keeping secrets from him.

She jumped as the door opened and felt foolish for doing so as Seth skulked in from the early morning heat looking surly and thoroughly annoyed. Richie looked up from his sorting, he was trying to organize the pages of his hand drawn blueprint, she had really made a mess of it. "Jesus Seth, you look like you're gonna murder someone. Did she have them finished?"

Seth reached into his suit jacket to pull out three booklets and tossed them on the floor in front of his brother. "Yeah, they look legit, she does good work. Though I suppose she has to, I can't imagine that she gets much other business. What kind of tattoo artist doesn't even have any tattoos?" His eyes narrowed as he shook his head dubiously, "I don't trust that."

Richie took up the passports and a pleased grin spread across his face as he examined them. "They do look good. Did she give you any trouble?" His older brother snorted exasperatedly.

"Nah, other than the fact that she tried to trip me into bed. The chick's a real man eater and I don't mean the culebra kind." He snatched his passport back from his little brother and tucked it back into his jacket. "Everything ready to go?" 

"Yeah, we're just finishing up here but all the bags are packed and I've got the guns hidden away in the trunk of your new baby. I'm surprised you didn't take her out for a spin this morning."

"That would be a genius move, return to the scene of the crime with the stolen vehicle. Tell me again why I let you do all the planning in this outfit?" With that he turned to grab their bags and left the room to haul them out to the car.

Chuckling Richie returned his focus to retrieving the pages of his blueprint. After a moment he paused in his gathering, holding a paper up to his nose he stared at it intently. He adjusted his horn rimmed glasses and squinted at the page in his hand with a puzzled look on his face. "Kate?"

She pulled her stare from the floor to meet his eyes. Usually she took comfort in that gaze but today she felt like the blue was too intense, like it was piercing into her mind. "What is it?"

He held the page up for her to look at. "Did you add a piece to this?"

"What?"

"Here, I didn't draw this one."

She took the page from him and looked it over closely, it certainly wasn't something that she had drawn but the hand was familiar. It looked to be a continuation of the much larger blueprint that Richie had constructed. They had thought that the "subbasement" was the bottommost level of the underground pyramid but here on this new page there was a stairwell leading down to another floor, one that the elevator didn't reach. The ninth level. It was really just a room, not a whole level like the rest of the buried pyramid. In the middle of the room, scrawled in red writing was the word, "key." Kate broke into goosebumps as a shiver ran through her. She knew who's hand had drawn this new addition. 

"You don't think maybe Scott put it there?" Kate asked, trying to sound unsure.

"You're probably right, but why would Scott leave us this?" She froze as Richie's eyes held her.

"Yeah, Kate. Why would Scott leave us this little clue?" Her stomach did a backflip as Seth spoke from directly behind her, she hadn't even heard him return. "I think it's time you told us about the little family reunion you had yesterday." Her heart fell as she spun to look at him, looming over her. He didn't look angry but there was a quiet calm to him that made her more nervous than if he had been yelling.

She set her papers down and rose from the floor, Richie stood as well and went to stand with his brother in front of her. Kate melted under their stare, brown eyes and blue both calm and calculating now. She swallowed thickly, trying to get the lump out of her throat.

"I....I think Carlos is planning something. Something that could be bad for you! I was going to tell you, I just needed time to think about it. Scott gave me a sort of warning yesterday, he told me not to work the job with you, that it 'wasn't for me'." She searched their faces for their reactions but neither brother even blinked an eye. "I asked him what that meant but he wouldn't tell me any more. I was afraid that when I told you, you would cut me out of the job!" Nothing. "I know I should have said something yesterday, I just don't want to be left behind!"

Finally Seth moved, he took her by the shoulder and steered her to sit on the edge of the bed. Then he and Richie stood in front of her, looking down. "You don't want us to cut you out of this job, but you're going to keep important shit like that from us? Kate, how are we supposed to trust you to watch our backs if you can't even be honest with us." Oh Lord in Heaven! She just got deja vu, only in her previous memory it was her parents standing over the bed lecturing her about trust, not the Gecko brothers.

"Seth's right Kate, there's no room for these kind of games when you're pulling a job like this. That's how people get killed." Embarrassment and guilt overwhelmed her and she cast her eyes to the floor.

"That being said, we know that Carlos is planning on screwing us." Richie looked down at her matter-of-factly. Kate felt a momentary flash of rage upon finding out that they had known, yet not bothered to tell her. _And they want to give me the trust talk!_ She schooled her face to calmness, now was not the time to complain about something like that. "We killed his queen. All this time since the Twister we've been waiting for vengeance and he shows up out of the blue with a job and a big, fat payday? I may be a great fucking boxman but Carlos is a pretty resourceful guy, he could've found someone else to crack this safe. And Seth, well, he's good at what he does but his skill set is pretty common in our line of business."

Seth snorted, "Gee, thanks for the big 'Fuck You.' Richard!" Richie gave his brother an unapologetic grin. "The point that my pretentious little brother is trying to make is that _this job,_ is Carlito's revenge." Richie nodded in agreement with his brother. Now that they had laid it all out for her it did make sense.

"Well, what are we going to do about it? You're the Gecko brothers, you've got to have a plan."

"Well, knowing Carlos he won't be lying about that payday, it's the carrot in front of his stick." Seth made a gesture like he was jacking off. "This is where we play the long con sweetheart, we just gotta hope that ours comes off alright before Carlos beats us to the finish line."

\--

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Ninth Circle of Hell is Treachery.


	19. Key Lime, that's a different flavor! But we still prefer our sweet little Cherry.

"And what was your business in Mexico?"

Richie smiled congenially at the officer working their lane at the border crossing. "We're with a missionary group, you may have heard of it, Helping Hands. We build houses for those who are less fortunate, and spread the Gospel so that all of God's children may feel the blessing of His love." He held up the Bible he had filched from their motel room demonstratively and the woman nodded and smiled back at him. The officer peered into the car again at Kate and she did her best to not to fidget nervously, she smiled and flipped her hair, the little gold cross at her neck gleaming in the sunlight.

"Okay, here you are." Richie took their forged passports from her and tucked them into his jacket before putting the car into drive. "Oh and sir," Kate's heart flew into her throat, _This is it, here come the handcuffs!_ "God bless, and keep up the good work."

The light in front of them changed from red to green and they drove through onto United States soil. Kate let go of a breath she didn't even know that she was holding. Twisting in her seat she peered at the throng of cars still waiting to get through. "I don't see him back there, I lost him in the crowd about an hour back."

"Don't worry about Seth, he's a big boy. We'll meet up with him down the road a little ways.

Richie pulled off at the first likely place they saw, a dusty, run down looking twenty-four hour diner. They sat down at a booth all the way in the back, Richie with his back to the wall so that he had a full view of the diner. He had his menu up, perusing the selection but every so often his eyes would drift toward the door. Despite his flippant demeanor Kate could tell he was anxious to see his brother.

The waitress took her time getting to the table, with unkempt hair that hung down past her shoulders and a tight t-shirt that left most of her cleavage exposed for public view she looked perfectly in her element among the redneck patrons of the diner. Without asking she filled two of the preset coffee cups on the table as she waited on their order.

"What kind of pies do you have?" Richie asked without looking up from his menu.

"Apple, pecan, cherry, and key lime."

"Which do you recommend?"

"Well, I like the cherry pie."

"Don't we all?" Richie cut his eyes from his menu, grinning at Kate mischievously. She rolled her eyes to show him how impressed she was with his running joke. The waitress huffed at his odd statement and began tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for his order. "Alright, bring me a piece of that cherry pie, and a large glass of milk." He gave her a pleasant smile but she frowned back at him and cut her eyes over to Kate.

"Should I make that two pieces?"

"No thank you," Kate looked up from her menu at the three name tags displayed on her chest, "Mabel. I'll just have a grilled cheese with tomato please." It had been a stressful day and she needed some comfort food right now. Kate smiled at the woman politely but she just turned on her heel and walked away.

Richie didn't seem much in the mood to talk so Kate left him in peace as they waited. Mabel returned shortly with their order, Richie jumped back from the table to avoid getting milk on his suit as she plunked his glass down with a careless hand. Without a word she wandered away to turn her delightful attentions to the other patrons of the diner. Richie strummed his fingers on the tabletop anxiously, his pie sat untouched in front of him as he stared across the diner with a faraway look in his eyes. She turned her attention to the grilled cheese in front of her with avarice, the white bread was perfectly toasted and the tomato was sliced just right, it reminded her of the grilled cheese sandwiches her momma used to make for her and Scott. Oddly enough their father had never been able to replicate his wife's grilled cheese but this greasy diner's version was close to perfection.

"Well this looks like fun, mind if I join the party?" Kate's heart fluttered in her chest and warm relief spread through her as Seth slid into the booth next to her.

"Seth!" Kate flung her arms around his neck and showered him with kisses, he chuckled and leaned down so that he could return her affections amorously.

"Don't tell me you were worried! Nothing could keep me from you Princess. Not even the assholes workin the border, they pulled me aside to check the car, that secret compartment worked like a charm! We should think about outfittin all of our vehicles with one from now on." He snagged the cup of coffee sitting in front of her and took a swig then grimaced, she liked a lot of cream and sugar and he most certainly did not. Seth looked about then snapped at their waitress rudely, Mabel came up to the table looking unpleasant and surly at being flagged down in such a manner.

"Hey darlin', can I get a cuppa coffee and, uh, how's the key lime pie?"

"The key lime's great but it's an acquired taste."

"Sounds appetizing? Tell you what, you've sold me, let's give that key lime a day in court. Thanks Rosie."

The waitress gave him a particularly unpleasant look, "The name's not Rosie, it's Mabel." She said, pointing to the three tags declaring her name.

"Whatever." Seth waved her off, impatient to get his black coffee.

Kate couldn't help herself, she stayed pressed up against him, though they had only spent the car ride across the border separated she had spent all that time worrying that she would never see him again. If the cops ever got their hands on Seth Gecko they'd lock him up and throw away the key. When Seth realized that she intended to finish her meal glued to his side he chuckled and threw an arm around her shoulders, pressing her close. She could see the desire in Richie too, to be close to his brother, he stared longingly across the table at them snuggled up together. Seth didn't necessarily prohibit public displays of affection from Richie but he discouraged it, claiming that it drew too much attention so Kate was surprised when he reached across the table to grasp his little brother's hand, running circles around his palm with a big thumb. Richie brightened visibly under his brother's attention and dug into his pie with a pleased smile on his lips.

Mabel stalked up and slung Seth's plate onto the table, the slice of pie wiggling like gelatin as it slid in front of him, then she plunked his coffee cup down and poured until the dark liquid was almost ready to overflow. She spared one sullen, puzzled look at the three of them doting on each other then wandered away and left them in peace. Unable to lift the cup to his lips without spilling hot coffee everywhere Seth had to duck down awkwardly to sip it from the tabletop, slurping loudly before turning his attention to his pie. Kate looked on as he devoured the key lime with gusto, it was a virulent, toxic shade of green, she thought it looked disgusting but he had no problem inhaling the little slice. Though he had ordered after them Seth was finished eating before either Richie or herself and he stabbed his fork at his little brother's slice of cherry pie without even asking.

"Mmm, that one's good! I guess I shoulda just stuck with the cherry!" He squeezed his arm around her affectionately. Seth drained his cup and Kate hid her face in her hand as he yelled across the restaurant, "HEY ROSIE! Can I get a refill on that coffee?" _NO MANNERS WHATSOEVER!_ Well, she might as well get used to it, Seth was always this rude when he went out to eat and there was no changing that bad habit.

Kate finished her sandwich and pushed her plate away, leaning against Seth contentedly. "So there's something that's been bugging me since this morning. That new page of the blue-"

"Hold that thought." Seth cut her off with a finger pressed to her lips as the waitress slunk up to the table to refill his coffee, "That's good right there." He stopped her before she could overfill his cup again. As the ever endearing Mabel wandered away from their table irritation got the better of her and Kate sunk her teeth into Seth's large finger, he cursed, yanking it from her mouth. "Aw c'mon Princess, we're gettin pretty close to the target and you never know who Carlos might have workin for him. _Rosie_ doesn't need to know all our plans. You were saying?"

"What I was saying was that I've been trying to figure out why my brother left us that drawing of a room and a key that we didn't even know about. Why would he warn me off this job, then leave us a new clue as to what Carlos is up to? Scott knows me pretty well, he may have figured that I would refuse to back down from working this heist and maybe left us the new info to help. Or....." She trailed off, staring bleakly at the tabletop.

"Or, Carlos had him plant that there to screw with us." Richie finished the sentence that was too painful for her to even contemplate. The mix of emotions that welled up at the thought of Scott betraying her so absolutely after showing that he still cared was a tangle that dragged her down the more she struggled against it, like drowning in a pool of lily pads. "We're going to have to play this one out carefully, we don't want to let Carlos catch on that we know about it. If your brother did give us a hint of what Carlos is planning then we'd be selling him out by showing our cards too early in the game. Either way I intend to have a conversation with Scott about it, if we can get him alone again." There was a cold gleam in Richie's eyes that held a promise of violence, Scott would find that interrogation very unpleasant. "Tomorrow we're going to scope out this place, see what we can see. Maybe we'll get a better picture of what Carlos has in store for us."

They spent another hour at the diner, relaxing and chatting about their plans for the rest of the day. Seth drank cup after cup of black coffee, it made Kate jumpy just thinking about the amount of caffeine he was consuming. No wonder he was always so high strung! Mabel graced them with her presence one final time, sweeping by the table to drop their check in the middle before moving on to her other patrons without a word. Richie grumbled at Seth about how much money he was leaving her, "She was a terrible fucking server! Why in the hell would you leave her that much?"

"I'm a terrible fucking customer." Kate snorted and he looked down at her. "I may be a bastard but I'm not a fucking bastard. Maybe a good tip will brighten up her day." Looking across the restaurant Kate felt dubious of that, she didn't think anything could brighten the woman's sour disposition.

They drove on a short distance before pulling into a motel for the night, Richie parked the car and slid from the driver's seat to get them a room. Seth pulled in next to them in the Impala, the windows were rolled down and Kate could hear the familiar sound of AC/DC's _Highway to Hell_ blaring from the car. She watched as Seth tapped his thumb against the steering wheel in time to the music and a small grin spread across her lips. Apparently Seth Gecko had more in common with the previous owner than just his taste in cars. Richie strolled back to the car whistling jovially as he swung the room key around his finger, he slipped back into the driver's seat and they pulled around to their room. 

That night they slept in a king sized bed. Seth lay in the middle with Kate and Richie sprawled out on top of him, each claiming a spot on his chest to rest their heads. She drifted off slowly, listening to the steady beat of Seth's heart while Richie ran his fingers languidly through her hair. _This is how things are going to be from now on, all of us together._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slight, none too literal nod to Tarantino's original couple of violence and mayhem. Gotta give respect where respect is due, bow down.


	20. I'm a Dirty Dog Baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter begins with a recreation of the scene FDTD ssn2 ep 7, _Santa Sangre_ , in which Richie and Eddie are at Jacknife Jed's doing recon.

_"ORDER UP!"_

Jacknife Jed's, did a pretty bustling lunch trade. A cook called out orders through the cacophony and scantily clad waitresses brought the food to their tables wearing fake, overenthusiastic smiles. Richie sat near the entrance getting a shoeshine, had the legs of his jeans rolled up to the knee while the man giving him the shine ran a couple of soft brushes against the brown leather of his cowboy boots. With a newspaper in one hand he sketched in a crossword puzzle with a pencil, cocking his ear to listen to the rockabilly music through the din he nodded in time appreciatively.

_"Well I'm a dirty dog baby, won't you come and mess around with me? I'm a dirty dog baby, won't you come and set me free."_

He could see Seth poking around the gift shop to the left of the entryway, every so often he would glance over at Richie, waiting. His big brother had conceded his suit for a simple white undershirt and slacks, with his tattoo and three day growth of stubble he fit right in with most of the rough crowd that patronized the truck stop. Richie felt somewhat coarse and pedestrian in jeans and a plaid shirt, he had worn contacts so that he could obscure his eyes with a pair of dark aviator sunglasses and kept the bill of his hat pulled low. There was a camera right in front of him and he marked off the scope of it's surveillance with a wide arc at the top of his crossword puzzle.

Richie tipped the edge of his newspaper to peer over at Kate, sitting next to him while he got his shine. She looked absolutely irresistible in a short, pale blue sundress with a cowboy hat and boots, he was really digging the whole country girl look. She tapped her boot in time to the music and nodded her head as she listened to the rockabilly melody.

_"I've been waiting so long just to come inside and I ain't leavin' till I'm satisfied. Well I'm a dirty dog baby won't you open up and let me in?"_

The corners of her lips turned up in a coy smile when she noticed him checking her out and she crossed her legs so that the bottom of her dress rode dangerously high, he could see just a hint of her lace underwear peeking out. The man shining his shoes noticed too and the brushes in his hands stilled as he caught an eyeful. Kate's face burned crimson as she realized her mistake too late and she yanked her skirt down to cover herself more modestly. He couldn't help chuckling at the look on her face until she glowered at him.

Flipping the newspaper back up to hide his grin he continued to case the entryway. He watched as a thuggish looking guy emerged from a door marked "Employees Only" near the back of the dining area, in the short time that they had arrived at Jacknife Jed's he had watched as a steady stream of burly looking men came in and out that door. For a honky-tonk this place sure had a lot of muscle, it was a good sign that there was something worth protecting in this place. As the man made his way across the restaurant he went through a hideous transformation. In the space of one step to the next horns suddenly sprouted from his forehead, his skin began writhing as if there were hundreds of thousands of maggots living inside his flesh, trying to eat their way through and a long, leathery looking tail lashed behind him as he made his way through the dining area. The patrons sitting at the tables payed no heed to the demon walking in their midst. Richie slid his fingers beneath his sunglasses to rub his eyes and when he opened them again the man was once again just a man. He stopped in front of another "Employees Only" door nearer to where Richie was sitting, this one hadn't had as much traffic, he had only seen one other guy go through. Richie watched out of the corner of his eye as the man fished a card from his pocket and swiped it to gain access then went through, the door shutting quickly behind him. Richie marked a corresponding X in the corner of his crossword directly below the camera on his map. He glanced over at his brother and ran two fingers across the bill of his hat, it was sort of a baseball signal, two men inside, key card for access. His brother nodded, the play looked good.

Seth bought a magazine in the gift shop and came over to lounge against the wall across from the door, casually perusing the content. After a while the door opened and the first burly guy Richie had spied when he sat down earlier came through. Seth pushed off from the wall and began walking aimlessly, his attention on the magazine in front of his face and suddenly he walked right into the man. "Hey buddy watch where you're goin'!" he exclaimed before tearing his gaze from the article he was reading. Seth's eyes went wide as he got a good look at this _Conan the Barbarian_ sized motherfucker. The man puffed up his chest in indignation and Richie cringed as he was sure his brother was about to take a hit for his big mouth. "Whoa, sorry man! I wasn't looking where I was goin'. Just gettin caught up on current affairs." He patted the man companionably on the shoulder and flipped the magazine to display a bikini clad woman bent over the hood of a red Camaro. _Conan_ stared him down for a moment then grunted and used one thick arm to shove Seth out of the way so that he could continue about his business.

Seth spared a glance for Kate and Richie, he winked jovially and strolled over to the door like he owned the place. He swiped his newly acquired key card to gain access then slipped through and was lost to view.

"Alright Katie, why don't we go grab something to eat now that we're done here." He looked down at his boots to admire the shoeshine man's work, "Gracias amigo." he handed him a couple of bills before rising from his seat. He let Kate choose their table so he could check her out as he walked behind her. Richie was pleased with her selection, their table was on the back wall and he had a full view of the dining room from his seat. Their waitress promptly came and took their order and he was relieved that she at least pretended to give a shit.

A short time later they were digging in to a couple of burgers and some greasy french fries, Richie swilled a beer while Kate sipped on a Bloody Mary. He found it infinitely gratifying that she had taken to the drink as he had been the one to introduce her to it. She smiled at him as she sipped her drink and suddenly the air around her grew dim, like there was a shadow surrounding her. No, not surrounding her, _she_ was emitting the shadow. Red leached through her eyes, completely washing them out and the red of her drink went dark as she sucked blood ravenously through her straw. He smiled back at Kate and turned his attention to his food so that she couldn't see the fear in his eyes. He had never seen this vision of her before and it terrified him.

Though he carefully kept his eyes averted he could still feel the shadow leeching from her, it was a palpable evil. It crept closer like it was reaching out to him and Richie knew that if that shadow touched him he would well and truly lose his mind. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone. He held his breath and forced himself to look up at her, he sighed with relief as her green eyes stared back. The shadow around her was gone and her drink was the normal color of tomato juice. Once again she was _his_ Kate.

He looked past her and frowned as a woman approached their table, she plunked a motorcycle helmet down on a neighboring chair and took a seat between the two of them without asking. She had dark, black eyes and short black hair framed her beautiful face, she wore tight jeans and a leather jacket. Instant hatred curdled in his stomach, he knew from Seth's description that this was Carlos' new psycho girlfriend. He had only just this morning removed the stitches from his brother's bottom lip and he fought a strong urge to pay her back for the beating she had given Seth, an urge that was made even more intense by the way she was leering at Kate.

"Well if it isn't the bitch that kicked my big brother's ass."

"Don't call me a bitch you prick." She spat back at him without taking her eyes from Kate who had begun to squirm a bit under her scrutiny. " _Que haces linda?_ Why don't you come home with me instead of back to another grubby motel with this pendejo. We can ride back on my bike, it's a lot more fun than sitting in the backseat of a muscle car reeking of cigarettes, sweat and testosterone." Kate's green eyes went wide with shock and she blushed under the biker bitch's attention. Richie clenched his jaw as rage boiled up in his gut.

"Alright cunt-"

"Richie!" Kate gasped glaring disapproval at him as if he had just called _her_ a cunt.

The bitch turned to regard him with a grimace. "How disgusting, that word coming from your mouth. That word should only be reserved for a woman's lips, men abuse it." She leaned toward Kate and grasped her chin, turning her face so that she was staring directly into the woman's deep, dark eyes. "Oye que bonita, why do you hang out with a couple of joto gringos like los hermanos Gecko? I bet there are things I can do to your pretty little cunt that will make you cum harder than this pinche puta and his maricon brother ever could." She licked her lip lewdly and winked. Kate's eyebrows tried to climb to her scalp and her face flushed with color, Richie was sure she had never in her life been hit on in such a coarse manner, especially not by a woman. Carlos' girlfriend released Kate's chin and turned her attention back upon him with a shit-eating grin. "I think she likes me."

It was a rare occasion that Richard Gecko met with someone who could so masterfully irritate him, he was used to being the one to get under people's skin and he didn't enjoy having the tables turned on him. "Why are you here bitch?"

"You shouldn't call people stuff, you know? It's rude. I have a name, Maia, if you need to speak to me that is what you will call me."

"Fair enough. Do you think you can stop hitting on my girl long enough to hold a conversation?"

Maia gave him a sly grin, "I'll try but she is very....distracting." She bit her lip and winked at Kate which elicited a giggle from the young girl. Richie felt the fires of white hot jealousy burning in his gut but kept his face calm, projecting an air of arrogance.

"I find your antics to be very distracting, why the fuck are you here, _Maia?_ "

"Carlos has changed the conditions for the job. In addition to having you pull the heist he is also ordering a hit."

"No! No fucking way. That is not what we do, we are professional thieves, not hitmen."

She laughed mirthlessly and her eyes suddenly changed, for the briefest moment there was flash of yellow surrounding a black, slitted pupil before they turned back to their dark, black color. Richie blinked, "Did you just snake out on me?" He genuinely wasn't sure.

"If you are referring to my culebra transformation then, yes, I did just _"snake out"_ on you. You are trying my patience and I am not a woman you want to try. Ask you're brother, he knows." She smirked at him smugly and it took all he had not to slap that smirk off her face. "It's not like los hermanos Gecko are strangers to killing, how many bodies did you leave on the ground when you robbed that bank in Abeline? Now is not the time to suddenly develop a moral code." She arched her eyebrow at him and shook her head. "Everything else stays the same but the man who's safe you're breaking into, he needs to die. Believe me, the reward will be more than worth it."

Kate looked very troubled at this new turn of events and her voice shook with anxiety, "Why.....why does he need to die, this man?"

Maia stared at her for a long minute, considering. "Well sweetheart, he has something that Carlos wants and the only way for _mi amore_ to get what he wants is to get rid of this man first, but he can't be connected directly to his death. And the only way this is going to have a happy ending for any of _you_ is if you do what you are told." She turned her dark gaze back upon Richie. "The eighth level, in the room with the safe you will also find this man, Malvado, he is a culebra of great strength but I'm sure that los hermanos Gecko can figure out a way to bring him down. After all, you did kill La Diosa and she was a very powerful culebra."

"I'll need to talk it over with my brother, we'll give you our answer tomorrow."

"You will do as you are told or be left to deal with the unpleasant consequences." Maia sat up, leaning forward so that her face was inches from Kate's. Her fingers caressed a strand of Kate's hair before tucking it behind her ear, she whispered to her, _"Voy a devorarte nena linda."_ She licked her lips salaciously, her eyes held a look of naked, lustful hunger and Kate shivered under that stare.

Maia abruptly rose from her seat, snatching her helmet she swaggered off without another word or a backward glance. Richie watched as she carefully pulled on her black leather gloves and placed the helmet on her head before strutting out into the sunlight, completely protected. Irritation irked at him as he looked over at Kate, she stared after the woman looking positively flustered and somewhat curious.

"You get a good eyeful?" Kate jumped then spared him a glare for his mocking tone. He chuckled and rose from his seat, "I've gotta take a piss, I'll be right back." Richie leaned in to give her a kiss, which she returned reluctantly, still irritated at him for poking fun at her.

Richie heard someone come in the door behind him as he stood pissing into the urinal, he gave himself a quick shake before zipping up and turned to see his brother leaning against the door. Seth was grinning as he looked him up and down. "Damn, maybe you oughtta forgo the suit a little more often, I'm likin' this whole 'Paul Bunion' thing you've got goin' on. Your ass looks great in those jeans." He winked and swaggered over to him, there was an air of excitement about his older brother that was contagious. Richie didn't know what it was that had him so riled up but he was feeling it too, in the way that Seth looked at him.

"We are gonna be rich brother! This operation is bigger than we thought, they've got cargo comin' in by the truckload back there!" Laughing, Seth wrapped his arms around Richie and pressed his forehead to his. "We're gonna be set for life after this." Richie stared into the deep brown of Seth's eyes, he could see desire burning in them. "No more hustlin', no more worrying about getting shot up or sucked dry," They could hope couldn't they? "No more runnin', we can settle down somewhere nice. Katie's always talking about the beach, we could buy ourselves a huge oceanfront mansion. Nothin' but sunshine and white sand beaches, you and me, and our little Katie-Cakes loungin' around in her cute little bikini." The powerful strength of his brother's yearning was painfully intense. Yes, it would be nice to settle down, and be with the two people he loved most in this world but after living a life always working an angle he wasn't certain if he knew how to settle down.

Seth was giddy with excitement, it was getting Richie riled up and he leaned in to kiss his brother. Seth returned the kiss with avarice, the push of his lips was intense and soon they were tangled up together, making out in the middle of the bathroom like a couple of sloppy drunks that had just met in the bar. Though Richie wanted to lose himself in the ravenous attention's of his brother there was something else he wanted more. A whispered promise made to him in the heat of the moment a few nights ago.

Richie began walking his brother backward toward a bathroom stall, Seth let himself be pushed into the stall and the second Richie had the door locked behind him his brother was on him. Seth shoved his little brother against the door, pinning him against it with his solidly muscled body as he fucked his tongue into Richie's mouth, pumping it in and out. He could feel the press of his big brother's hard on against his own through the rough fabric of his jeans and he couldn't wait any longer, his hands flew to Seth's belt and in no time his brother's pants were around his ankles. Seth grabbed at his waist and tried to turn him around but he fought for control.

"Come on Richie, what are you doin'?" Seth was breathing hard, he was getting impatient and he was obviously confused about how this was progressing.

Richie placed a tender hand to his Seth's cheek , holding his brother's dark stare. "You promised Seth." His brother's eyes went wide and his adam's apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed thickly. Richie couldn't hold back a grin at the bewildered look on Seth's face.

"Yeah....yeah I did.....But, Jesus Christ, now?"

"I told you I was going to hold you to it. What, you're not in the mood now?" He stared dubiously at Seth's cock, standing at attention.

Taking a deep breath his brother nodded slowly. "Alright.........alright, I did promise."

Richie unzipped and shoved his pants low on his hips. "Was it worth it?"

Seth stared down at Richie's massive erection with a look of apprehension on his face but the he met his little brother's eyes with a smile. "For her? Absolutely."

\--  
Kate strummed her fingers on the table impatiently as she waited on Richie's return, she had already finished her food and was picking at his french fries idly. She was considering ordering another Bloody Mary when suddenly one plunked down in front of her.

"Hey gorgeous can I join you for a drink?"

She looked up as Seth came around the table and sat down gingerly across from her, easing himself into his seat. Richie followed close behind and he pulled up a chair next to his brother, sitting so close their knees were touching. Kate stared them up and down, Seth's hair was wild and his white undershirt was stretched out of shape, he had an immense look of satisfaction upon his face though he winced and shifted in his seat a bit. Richie was staring at his brother with a sly grin on his face, his lips were flushed red, his trucker hat was askew and the buttons on his shirt weren't lined up properly, leaving a gap that showed the pale skin of his chest peeking through.

"Really guys? I've been waiting for half an hour! I thought I was going to have to go into the men's room to find you Richie!"

He chuckled at her remark, "I think you would have had quite the surprise if you had, though I know you like to watch."

Kate felt her cheeks heat with shame at the truthfulness of his statement. "We came here for a reason and that reason had nothing to do with getting lucky in the bathroom!"

Richie laughed at her remark. "Okay, calm down Katie-Cakes. Why don't you tell Seth all about your hot new girlfriend and how she paid us a visit while I finish my food."

His statement about her _girlfriend_ sent another wave of embarrassment flooding through her, sometimes she really hated how good Richie was at getting her flustered. "Fuck you Richard."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love how positively masculine Richie looks as he's getting his boots shined, the combination with his trucker getup and his absolute cunning as he's staking the place out is pure cinematic bliss. Hot damn! And that _music_ , man I love that song!  
> Hi-Strung Ramblers _Dirty Dog_


	21. Giddy Up Motherfucker

It was dark by the time they got back to their motel, though that did nothing for the heat, Kate grimaced as she climbed from the air conditioned cabin of the car. It was a hot, sticky night in the Lone Star State and she was looking forward to washing off the sweat of the day in a long shower. Seth and Richie hung back, talking quietly and she was content to leave them be, grabbing the key from the older Gecko she made her way to their room.

Once she had told Seth about Maia's visit and the hit Carlos wanted them to do he had insisted that they cut and run, arguing that they had barely survived killing the Queen back at the Twister. Richie was confident that they could pull it off, he wanted that big score and he was willing to go up against another powerful culebra to get it. They had been back and forth about it for the whole day and had gotten nowhere, neither one conceding to the other. Kate had been caught in the middle and since it was the Gecko brothers that would be taking on most of the risk she felt it wasn't her place to interject.

Their room was on the second floor of the motel, as she climbed the stairs she heard Seth raise his voice in frustration at his little brother and was glad that she had left when she did. As she neared their room she heard footsteps approaching, Kate turned and was startled to see a man that she hadn't noticed before walking closely behind her. She chided herself for being so jumpy, he had probably come from one of the rooms that she had just walked past.

He tipped his hat as he neared her. "Evenin' miss." The man carried himself with a bowlegged gait that suggested he was familiar with riding in a saddle and, like a character straight out of a classic western flick he wore a cowboy hat and leather boots. A full, snowy mustache covered his entire top lip and eagle sharp, brown eyes peered at her from beneath bushy brows.

Kate wasn't really in a sociable mood but being rude to an old gentleman just wasn't in her. "Oh hello." She smiled at him and moved aside so he could pass but he came to stand in front of her.

"Nice night for a stroll, though I wouldn't be walkin' about all by your lonesome, there's lots of unsavory characters about these parts at night." He spoke with a slow Texan drawl and smiled at her kindly.

"Oh, this is my room here," she pointed to the door a few feet away, "and I'm not alone, my friends are just down there. See?" She motioned down to the parking lot where she could hear the brothers talking, Seth's voice was a loud rumble and every once in a while Richie's smooth cadence broke through, still arguing. The old man moved to the railing and peered over at the brothers for a moment before turning his attention back to her.

"Yep, I reckon those are the kinds of friends you need in a town like this." His hand dipped into his breast pocket to retrieve a pack of cigarettes, tapping one loose he proffered her the pack which she declined politely. Lighting the smoke he took a drag then exhaled with a reverent sigh. "Ahh, there's nothing better than a smoke after a good fuck and a decent meal." The lewdness of his odd statement left her gaping, speechless. His kindly smile turned into a wolf's grin and the hair on the back of her neck stood up.

"I guess I'll be on my way, goodnight sir." She spun toward her room and brought the key up with a shaky hand but stopped before she got it in the lock. The door was slightly ajar and now that she was closer she could hear movement in the room. Panic sent her heart racing but before she could let go a cry of alarm the old man grabbed her from behind, clamping a hand down tight over her mouth. Her breath came in quick, ragged gasps through her nose and her body shook with fright as he pulled her close to him.

"What's a sweet little thang like you doin' hangin' around with a coupla low life degenerates like them Gecko boys anyhow? A good girl like you shouldn't have friends like that, it spoils the flavor of a pure soul." A scream tore from her throat but the sound was effectively trapped by his palm, the more she struggled against him the tighter he held her. "Now now, settle down girl." She kicked backward and felt her foot connect but it had little effect. Excruciating pain exploded across her jaw as he dug his fingers into her flesh, and tears began to flow down her cheeks, spilling across the back of his hand. "I said settle down! I ain't gonna eat you, not yet anyhow. But if you don't stop with all that then I may just bite you, I could use something sweet to get the taste of hooker outta my mouth." She felt his hot breath wash over her and the scrape of fangs on her neck, the pressure just short of breaking her skin. She forced herself to stillness though her body still shook with uncontrollable tremors. "Good girl. Now me and my friends are just here to fetch y'all, my boss wants a word. You keep your head down and do what you're told and you just might get outta this alive."

"Okay cowpoke. Why don't you just let the little lady go." The sound of Seth's voice sent a rush of relief through her that was so overwhelming she almost fainted. The old man moved, keeping her in front of him he turned to regard Seth. The older Gecko looked calm and he held his gun steady as a rock but she could see fear for her in his eyes.

"You've got some nerve son. Who the hell do you think you are, givin' me orders?"

"Well cowboy, as far as you're concerned I'm Wyatt fuckin Earp and I'm about to turn this place into the the OK Corral if you don't get your goddamned hands off of her."

The old man laughed and held her tight against him with one arm. "Oh I reckon you won't want to be shooting through this tasty little treat just to get to me." Kate shrieked uncontrollably as she felt his fangs scrape against her neck again and Seth stared murder at the old man. "Seems like you're really not in a position to be making demands. Besides, didn't you learn anything from your culebra killin' rampage back at the Twitster? Bullets can't kill us dumbass."

"Yeah, but I bet a wooden stake can."

The sound of Richie's voice close behind was a welcome shock, Seth had just been distracting the old man so his brother could get the drop on him. If she had been able to think clearly in her panic she would have figured that was the play. Seth smiled triumphantly, his jaw working back and forth as he clenched it tight, oh yes, this Gecko was ready to do violence. She felt the old man tense behind her. "Now hold on fellas. Malvado just wants a word with you, he sent me here to round you up."

"We're not interested in anything your boss has to say, especially not after you laid hands on our girl. It's gonna take more than a decrepit old cowboy to wrangle in the Gecko brothers." Richie spat the words vehemently, though she was shaking with fear a little bud of warmth blossomed in her chest when he said, _"our girl"_.

The old man's belly shook against her as he laughed. "You know, I reckon you're right about that son. COME ON OUT BOYS!" Doors opened up and down the walkway and culebras came pouring out, Kate spared a moment to wonder at the terrible fate of the people who had occupied some of those rooms but became more concerned for the fate of the Gecko brothers as she took in the number of men crowding the walkway. She heard Richie curse and could only assume that there were just as many behind as there were in front. Kate gasped as she was cast to the ground cruelly, the look on the old culebra's face as he loomed over her triumphantly was terrifying. Richie shoved the man out of his way and lifted her carefully from the ground. Though they were still in quite a predicament she took comfort in his presence, her heartbeat slowed and the choking sobs that wracked her body soon quieted.

"Well brother," Richie turned and yelled through the throng to Seth, "it looks like we're in a bind. Kind of reminds me of that job in Topeka, the Credit Union cash grab."

Seth nodded to his brother, a grim expression on his face. "I was thinkin' it was more like the K.C. underground poker game, those mobsters were tough sonsabitches!" Richie nodded back and gave his brother a meaningful look.

"Mobsters huh? I've gone up against a few in my time, might have been tough but they ain't got nothin' on our culebra outfit." The old man crowed, obviously pleased with having them trapped so well and good.

Richie hugged her close and whispered in her ear, _"Hold on tight to me."_ Kate looked a question at him but did as she was told, strengthening her grip around his waist.

Seth threw something over the heads of the men crowding the walkway, as Richie snagged it out of the air she saw it was the key to the Impala. In that moment everything stared happening so quickly she barely had time to register what was going on. Shots rang out from Seth's revolver and two of the culebras nearest them dropped to the ground. Richie grabbed the old man and lunged for the railing, shoving the cowboy culebra bodily in front of them. Blue eyes wild he grabbed the front of the old man's shirt in an angry fist, grinning insanely into his hideously scaled face. "Giddy up motherfucker." Yellow eyes widened in surprise and over the railing they went. Her stomach came up in her throat as they were suddenly sailing through the air and she screamed in terror, cutting off sharply as they landed. The impact jolted her but the old culebra had absorbed most of the shock, blood seeped from the back of his skull across the pavement. Richie had her held tight, he scrambled and pulled her up as he rose to his feet. More shots rang out and she whipped her head about to look for Seth but she couldn't see him through the throng of men. "Kate, get to the car."

She froze in place. "But Seth!"

Richie dragged her to the car with him, opening the door he quickly shoved her inside, tossing her the keys. "You're driving. Pop the trunk, I'll be right back." The engine roared to life just as another shot cracked through the air, she looked out the window anxiously and saw Seth backing his way down the stairs. The group of culebras got bottlenecked at the top but a couple that were closest reached out, trying to grab him. He fought them off wildly, kicking and clubbing them with his gun. Richie lunged into the passenger seat with an armload of wooden stakes, his pistol in one hand and a shotgun in another. "Drive around to the stairway and we'll pick Seth up." A few culebras that had come around the other side of the motel reached the car just as she whipped out of the parking spot, Richie rolled down the window and pumped a couple of slugs into them with the shotgun, it didn't stop them but it certainly slowed them down. She sped around and stopped near the bottom of the stairs. She looked up as Seth kicked at a culebra, it grabbed at him and he lost his balance. Her heart stopped as she watched him tumble backward, his hands grabbing wildly for purchase on the railing but finding only air, he rolled head over heels a couple of times and landed in a sprawl on the pavement. Kate prayed silently to God that Seth would be okay.

Richie shoved the shotgun at her and jumped from the car, running full speed to where his brother lay motionless on the ground. With a couple of wooden stakes he made quick work of the two culebras closest to Seth, they clawed at their chests futilely before burning up into ashes. Bending down he hauled his older brother up, supporting him on his shoulder and dragged his dead weight toward the car with culebras hot behind them. It was too close, they weren't going to make it. Kate rolled down her window and sat up on the door, steadying the shotgun on the roof of the car she carefully lined up her sight on a culebra that was just about to overtake them. Taking a deep breath she exhaled slowly and pulled the trigger, the slug tore through the culebra's chest, bringing it to the ground. The recoil almost knocked her from her perch but she lined up another shot and fired away, pump, aim, shoot. Pump, aim, shoot, just like Seth had taught her.

Richie stuffed Seth into the backseat of the Impala and shot another culebra in the face as it tried to pull him from the car. Slamming the door shut he yelled up to Kate, "Time to go Princess." She slid from her perch back into the driver's seat and was abruptly yanked backwards by her hair. Kate grabbed the steering wheel, trying to keep her seat but her strength was greatly outmatched against the culebra's. Richie leveled his gun but couldn't get a clear shot and she realized that it was up to her to save herself. She let go of the steering wheel and let herself be dragged out of the car by her hair, when she was hanging halfway out the window she twisted in the culebra's grip, facing it head on. Yellow eyes went wide as she cocked the shotgun and blasted the bastard point blank in the head, blood and debris flew into her face and she furiously swiped at her eyes as she climbed back into the car.

Jamming the gearshift into drive she tore across the parking lot and sped off down the road like a bat out of hell.

 

The third time the car swerved dangerously coming around a bend Kate realized that she might need to slow down. Pushing a hundred on the highway might be well and fine but it could get them killed on a narrow, curving back road. She eased her foot on the gas pedal and tried not to let her nerves drive them off the road.

Kate glanced in the rearview mirror, Richie was hovering over his brother in the backseat. Seth had cracked his head on the pavement pretty hard and stayed unconscious for the first ten minutes of their wild car ride, when he finally came to he had been alarmingly disoriented. The older Gecko lay sprawled out across the backseat and Richie sat on the floor, awkwardly hunched over his brother so that their faces were inches apart. Richie's fingers moved tenderly across Seth's face, tracing his nose, his cheekbones, his jawline as he stared devotedly into his brother's dark eyes. Kate had never seen Richie panicked but he had certainly been on the verge during those agonizingly long ten minutes that his brother had been blacked out. She tore her eyes from them and adjusted the mirror again, checking to see if anyone was following them. Pitch black, no headlights behind them.

"You put up a good fight, though coming down the stairs backwards was a pretty dumbass move." Richie teased his brother.

Seth grunted, "I gave you enough time to get to the car didn't I? You got the job wrong though, the K.C. poker game was the one where I had you leave me behind so that you could get Vanessa out of there. I got my ass kicked pretty good but you came back and got me out before any body parts went missing." Shock and dismay welled up inside of her, Seth's plan had been for them to leave him behind?

Richie laughed softly. "Yeah, I got you out just before they cut off your junk! What use would you be to me then?" They both laughed at that, though Seth cut off with a groan, he was really banged up. "I didn't get the job wrong. I just have more faith in our Katie-Cakes up against a slew of culebras then I had for your ex-wife against a gang of two-bit mobsters. You should have seen our girl in action Seth, she was amazing!" The pride in Richie's voice made Kate's heart swell with joy.

She glanced back at them and smiled, Richie was kissing his brother quite thoroughly, his hands running through his hair. "Hey guys, I hate to break up your moment but what are we going to do? I've taken so many turns, I think we're completely lost now. We're going to need to stop and catch our breath, plan our next move."

Richie pulled away from his brother breathlessly. "I know a place we can go, it should be safe enough."


	22. Homecoming

A few wrong turns and a couple of hours later the sun was just peeking over the horizon when they finally arrived at their destination.

Kate turned the ignition off and sat staring out the window of the Impala at a storefront, _Fast Eddie's Color T.V. Repair_ was the name on the sign. According to the Gecko brothers Eddie Cruickshank was the stuff of legends. After the death of their father Uncle Eddie had raised Seth and Richie, they were always telling stories about the astonishing heists he had pulled off or reciting some random, sagacious quote of his. After everything they had been through together the boys had finally brought her home to meet their parent.

Before coming here the brothers had insisted that they stop at a rest area to get cleaned up. Having the foresight to keep some clothes stashed in the trunk of the car they had promptly stripped off their ruined clothes from the day before to don their signature suits. Kate, on the other hand, was stuck in her blood spattered sundress from yesterday, there was only so much you washing up you could do in a rest stop bathroom and she felt positively disgusting. As they walked toward the shop Richie put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. He might have cleaned up and slicked his hair back but she could still smell the blood and sweat from last night beneath his fresh suit.

Seth was already out front, he had retrieved a spare key from nearby and was in the process of unlocking the door when they walked up behind him. Peaceful quiet met them as they entered the shop. Dust motes floated by, sparkling in the dim light of early morning and the air was somewhat stale, as it usually is in old stores like this but it had a comfortable, familiar feel. It wasn't much to look at, there were shelves upon shelves lined with junky old tvs and parts that she assumed belonged inside the television sets. 

_Click click._ The familiar sound of a shotgun pump made Kate jump and she looked about tensely as a bathrobe clad man strode into the room, barrel leveled at Seth. "Hey, Uncle Eddie, it's us!"

Eddie was plenty close enough to recognize the brothers but he kept his gun lined up on Seth. Kate began to wonder if this hadn't been a mistake, the look on Eddie's face was not a friendly one.

"Well you lowdown, conniving, sorry excuse for thieves. What makes you think you can just let yourself in here?" Yes, this was definitely a mistake. Kate tensed, getting ready to run.

Seth laughed, "If you didn't want us lettin' ourselves in then you shouldn't have left your key in the same old spot, ya prick."

Eddie grimaced and Kate was sure he was about to start shooting but suddenly his face broke and he lowered the shotgun, shaking with laughter as he pulled Seth in for a hug. " _I'm_ the prick! The last time I saw you was visitation day at the slammer! Then Richie busts you out and you two run off with a thirty million dollar payday and couldn't even be bothered to drop a line to your poor old Uncle Eddie! Did you come here to share some of the wealth?"

He ruffled Seth's hair before letting him go and older Gecko shook his head in dismay. "Nah, we lost that payday, we're movin' on to bigger and better things."

"Yeah that sounds about right. You two always were good at getting in your own way. Come on back." He gestured to them then paused as his eye caught Kate, pressed against Richie's side. "Well hello, who is this pretty young thing?" Eddie strolled up to her with a swagger that reminded her a lot of Seth's. Taking her hand in his he kissed the back of it, his fingers were firm and calloused against her soft skin. "Eddie Cruickshank, at your service." His eyes were a striking shade of blue, like polished gemstones and she was surprised to find herself blushing at his rakish smile as he lowered her hand from his lips. It was obvious that her dress was fillthy and covered in blood spatter but he made no mention of it, holding her stare intently.

"I'm Kate," she smiled at him brightly, "it's nice to finally meet the Gecko brother's infamous Uncle Eddie, the boys are always talking about you."

"All good things I hope!" Eddie's eyes were wide with faux surprise, he knew those boys worshiped him.

"Oh yes! They've actually been teaching me a few tricks of the trade that they've learned from you."

"Well you can't learn much from a couple of degenerates like these two, maybe if you stick around you can learn a few tricks from the master himself." He waggled his eyebrows and her grin widened. Much like the Gecko brothers he certainly wasn't short on ego.

Richie clapped a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Hey Eddie, do you think we could lay up here for a bit? We had a rough night and we could all use a shower and some sleep."

Eddie's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, you look pretty rough. I shoulda known you were lookin' for a place to lay low, it seems like the only time I see you boys is when you need something from your old Uncle Eddie. You're rooms are just like you left 'em, come on back."

She followed them down a hallway and was surprised when they came through the door into quite a nice apartment, it was a lavish contrast to the humble storefront. Eddie caught her gawking and laughed. "The repair shop is just a front for my _consulting_ business. I may not be out in the field raking in the big bucks anymore but I've done well for myself over the years." Grinning like a wolf he winked at her. "Why don't you get yourselves cleaned up and hit the sack, you're dead on your feet. I'm going back to bed myself, it's too damn early for any respectable criminal to be up. There's beer and leftover pizza in the fridge if you want it. Oh, and your burn bag is still in Richie's closet where you left it." With that he wandered off toward his bedroom, shotgun still in tow.

She looked a question at Richie. "Burn bag?" He nodded to her to follow him and they made their way across the apartment with Seth following close behind.

"It's a bag that we keep our backup shit in, some clothes, cash, guns, and fake i.d.s, in case everything goes to shit like it did last night. We've always moved around a lot but Uncle Eddie's place is like a base of operations, it's the closest thing to a home that we've got. He might talk some shit now and then but he's always been there for us."

Kate looked around Richie's room with distaste, it was very modern and had a cold, sterile feel to it. Sunlight streamed in between black curtains, reflecting harshly off of walls that were a pale gray. The furniture was minimalistic, all clean lines and white leather, none of it looked very comfortable. Though the bed was large it certainly wasn't inviting, the mattress wrapped in black sheets with crisp white pillows placed precisely across the top of it looked more like a piece of modern art, not something to take your leisure in. There was a desk against one wall that held a slim, very large computer and a bookcase sat next to it lined with rows of volumes all neatly arranged. A few black and white prints hung on the walls, most were hauntingly desolate landscapes that made her feel lonely and hollow the longer she looked at them.

Richie laughed at the forlorn expression on Kate's face. "The last time I redecorated was when Seth was in prison, I was going through some heavy shit then. Besides, that bed is mostly for show. We sleep in Seth's room, I never even slept in here when he was doing time. This room is more of an office for me, somewhere I can get some work done without any distractions." Relief flooded through her, the thought of Richie being all alone in this bleak room made her heart ache.

"Hey it's not my fault that you find me so _distracting_." Seth grinned at his brother, leaning casually against the door frame. Richie shook his head at his brother and went to the closet, it only took him a moment to find what he was looking for and he came away with a large, black duffel bag.

"Alright, now let's get cleaned up and get some rest." Richie shouldered the bag and they all exited his room, Seth opened a door directly across from his brother's and ushered her through.

Kate would have known this was Seth's room without having been told. It was more like a man's den than just a room but it was warm and inviting, the rich scent of leather and tobacco permeated the air. The walls were a deep red, so dark they were almost black, and though the room had no windows there were soft lamps placed throughout giving it a warm, comfortable glow. A large, well worn, brown leather armchair and matching footrest sat in one corner next to a small bookcase and a reading lamp. There was a deep mahogany armoire against one wall and a matching table that held a glass decanter of whisky, a couple of rocks glasses sat next to it. The bed was a massive affair, with a brown leather headboard that extended halfway up the wall, the gray comforter layered over the crisp white sheets looked soft and inviting, and there was a copious amount of plush pillows laying across the top of the mattress near the headboard. It looked so deliciously comfortable that a twinge of excitement ran through Kate at the thought of sinking into that mattress, she could sleep peacefully for days in a bed like that.

The most remarkable thing in the room was the artwork, all greyscale charcoal drawings. Framed simply so as not to distract from the art, each piece had it's own gallery light and it was obvious that Seth truly treasured each and every one. Kate moved from piece to piece, admiring the absolute painstaking detail. She smiled at one of Seth's revolver and Richie's pistol laid out barrel over grip. Her favorite was a drawing of Seth with his shirtless back to the observer. He had his head turned, looking back over his shoulder, his stare was cast down so that you couldn't see his eyes and the angle emphasized the fullness of his long lashes. She marveled at the use of shading that shaped the muscles of his back all soft lines and contours with the black flames of his tattoo cutting starkly across his shoulder.

"That one's my favorite too, though it was a real pain in the ass trying to get Seth to stand still long enough for me to sketch it."

Kate looked up at Richie in surprise. "Richie, you drew all of these? They're beautiful!"

He held up his hands and wiggled his fingers at her. "They're not just good for cracking safes and throwing knives. I've got lots of talents Kate, you've seen me sketch stuff before."

"That was just blueprints and job stuff. I know you're a genius Richie, I just didn't realize that you were so artistically inclined." The immense look of satisfaction he got from that statement was ridiculous, Richie loved being acknowledged for the prodigy he was and every once in a while Kate didn't mind stoking his ego. If he deserved it. The smile slowly slid from his face as he looked past her and she turned about to see what had caused his dismay.

Seth stood in front of one of the framed pieces, drink in hand and shoulders slumped he looked utterly defeated as he gazed upon the drawing. Kate came to stand behind him quietly, trying not to disturb him and peered over his shoulder. It was a sketch of a beautiful woman, black hair hung in waves over her shoulders and she had a dazzling smile. It was a grayscale drawing like all the rest but Richie had colored her irises, blue eyes full of mirth sparkled animatedly, the attention to detail made her look incredibly lifelike. Seth raised a hand as if to rip the drawing from the wall but it hovered in front of the picture for a moment before dropping impotently to his side. He turned abruptly from the drawing and paused as he came face to face with Kate, there was a forlorn expression on his face that spoke of overwhelming sadness and guilt.

Seth tore his eyes from hers, casting his stare to the floor. "I'm beat, I'm gonna go wash up and hit the sack." Kate watched him with a heavy heart as he slunk wearily over to the bathroom, shutting the door softly behind him.

Richie came to stand beside her, looking at the sketch of the woman ruefully. "It's Vanessa. We were hanging out one night after he had gone to prison, misery loves company and all that bullshit. Seth thinks I hated her, I didn't, not really. I just knew she wasn't right for him. She fit into his idea of what he thought he should be, but she never understood who he really was." Kate felt her heart ache for the beautiful woman that she had never met, poor Vanessa, she had been doomed to fall in love with the wrong man. "I convinced her to let me do this drawing and hung it up here as a surprise for him when he got out of prison. I guess I forgot about it, this is the first time that he's been home since I busted him out. He tries to act like he doesn't give a shit but he's not a heartless bastard, the guilt he feels for her going to prison for him eats him up every day."

Vanessa's intense stare now seemed mirthless and accusatory. She shivered as she thought about the poor woman, wasting away behind bars for a love that was never meant to be.

Sensing her melancholy mood Richie put a comforting arm about her shoulders, pulling her close. "You look exhausted, why don't you go use the shower in my room and get some rest." Thinking of Vanessa had left ice in the pit of her stomach and thought of coming out of the shower into that cold, lonely room was an unwelcome prospect.

"I think I'll just wait."

"Well.....what do you want to do well you wait?" He arched his eyebrow at her and smirked mischievously. Kate's eyes went wide with shock.

"Really? After everything we've just been through, that's what you're thinking about right now?!"

He laughed as he pulled her close against his chest. "Damn right! After everything we've just been through we're alive Katie! We came out on top, those fucking snakes can't keep us down." Richie had a crazed grin on his face, and for a moment she worried about him. He was practically vibrating with energy, it was infectious and as she thought back to the events of the evening a fresh wave of adrenaline coursed through her. Though they might be beaten up and bone weary they had survived. Against impossible odds they had come out whole and on top and they had done it together. Wasting no time she grasped the back of his neck and kissed him fiercely.

Richie pulled her dress up over her head and she responded in kind, yanking his tie loose and tearing down the row of buttons on his shirt before moving down to tug at his belt. Her heart began racing as he knelt before her and yanked her panties down, he tore the lace in his eagerness and she winced as she realized that her last pair of lovely underwear was destroyed, the rest of her collection had been left behind in the motel room along with all of their other belongings. She didn't have much time to spend lamenting as his big hand splayed against her ass, driving her forward toward his face. His glasses shifted as he nuzzled the soft down of her pubic hair with his nose, breathing her scent in deeply. She ran her fingers through his hair, grabbing a handful as he shoved his stiff tongue between her delicate lips to lap at her clit. Kate stared down at him lustfully as her pleasure began to build but she was suddenly distracted by a splash of red on her arm, then she noticed another spatter further up. Pasted across her skin was a mix of dirt and clubra blood that no hasty wash in a rest stop bathroom sink could scrub from her skin.

"Richie wait." Ignoring her he dug his fingers into her backside and licked at her with avarice. She arched her back and tried to loose herself in the feel of his tongue but her eyes kept catching on the blood caked on her arm. "Richie stop! I can't do this right now!" He looked up at her confused, his tongue still lapping at her clit, it felt so good she almost let him go but now that she had started to think about it she felt completely disgusting. "I _need_ to wash the guts off of me first." She fingered a blood spatter on his ear that he had missed in his hasty rest stop clean up. "You do too." Sighing into her pussy he released her and backed off.

"Well if you don't want to use my shower then I guess we'll have to go bother big brother." His eyes lit up with delight as the thought came to him.

She looked at him dubiously. "Isn't that going to be a bit cramped?"

He chuckled smugly at that. "Oh I think we'll manage."

Steam poured from the door the moment she cracked it and Kate had to squint for a moment before it dissipated. The entire bathroom was tiled in rich beige stone, with darker accents running along the walls and along the backsplash of the double sink. There was no shower stall, just an area at the far end of the bathroom with a drain and two massive showerheads pouring water down from the ceiling. Never in her suburban teenage dreams had she ever seen a shower so glorious as this. The Gecko brothers certainly knew how to live comfortably, when they wanted to.

Seth sat on a tiled shower bench with his head hanging down, letting the water cascade over him from above, he didn't look up until Kate placed a gentle hand on his weary head. Deep brown eyes stared up at her with the weight of the world behind them and for a moment she almost regretted disturbing him.

"Do you mind some company? I don't want to use Richie's shower, his room kind of creeps me out." He looked at her stoically and for a moment she thought he was going to turn her away but then his big, strong arms wrapped about her. Seth nestled his face against her stomach and hugged her close, she smoothed his hair with a gentle hand as the hot water ran over them, washing the night away.

She could hear Richie in the shower behind her, the water splashing off of him as he moved around, scrubbing himself clean. "Alright Katie-Cakes, it's your turn." His long fingers grasped her shoulders as he pulled her back from Seth, the older Gecko let go reluctantly but he allowed his little brother to take her. Rich, soapy lather cascaded down her arms as Richie began rubbing a sponge across her shoulders. Feeling a bit silly at being washed like a child Kate reached to take the sponge from him and was surprised by a rude smack to her bottom. Frowning up at him in irritation she made another grab for the sponge and was met with another smack, harder than the first. The sting of his hand print tingled a bit and she was surprised to find that it was a turn on for her. Richie pressed his lithe, slippery body against hers, looming over her, he tipped her chin up so that she was looking directly into his intense, electric blue eyes. "Sit still like a good girl and let me get you cleaned up."

Irritation at being spanked melted away with those words, Richie wanted to be in control and she was suddenly inclined to let him. Seth snagged his whisky glass from a small niche in the wall, sheltering it from the water showering down from overhead he sipped on his drink as he watched his little brother wash her worshipfully. Richie ran circles down each arm, scrubbing away dirt and blood. He paid special attention to her delicate fingers, holding her hands close to his face as he cleaned the blood and dirt from beneath her fingernails. Grabbing a thick cake of yellow soap he lathered the sponge again, the fragrance was quite masculine and Kate was pleased to think that she would carry their scent after she had finished with her shower. Richie rubbed the sponge along the curve of her breasts reverently, the feel of the thick, soapy lather running over her nipples was quite sensuous. When he got to her stomach Kate giggled as the sponge tickled around her navel, the corners of Seth's eyes crinkled humorously as he watched her squirm beneath his brother's attentions. Her laughter cut off as Richie's palm came down hard across her backside. "I told you to sit still Katie-Cakes." Seth bit his lip and she felt her legs clench tight around her sex as she realized that he liked the spanking.

Richie pried her legs apart with a rough hand so he could run the sponge between them. As he ran the sponge back and forth he rubbed the tip of his slippery finger between her lips, teasing her clit then slid it back along her slit. His finger pressed just outside her entrance and she pushed against him, wanting to feel the length of it inside her but suddenly he was moving on, down her legs. Seth chuckled at the look of frustration on her face, he knew how much his brother enjoyed his little games. Richie lifted one of her ankles and she almost fell over but Seth reached out a hand to steady her as his brother scrubbed the sole of each foot.

Rising from the floor Richie turned her about, putting her backside on display for his brother as he ran the sponge over her shoulder blades. She looked back over her shoulder and saw that Seth was staring intently at her ass, his hand reached out but Richie slapped it away, apparently that was against his rules. He lathered up the sponge again and began washing the curve of her cheeks, her eyes widened with surprise as he slipped a clever finger between and teased her tight little hole. She had never thought that she would like something like that but the feeling of his cunning finger wiggling just at the entrance was intriguing. He grabbed her cheek and spread it roughly so that Seth could have an unobstructed view. When she looked over her shoulder again Seth was stroking himself, the muscles in his arm rippled as he pumped his hand around his thick cock. It made her mouth water with desire. Kate slipped a soapy hand between her legs and rubbed her fingers across her sex and Richie suddenly slapped her ass, hard. Seth groaned lustfully as he masturbated, his eyes glued to the sumptuous curve of her cheeks. Richie grabbed her chin, holding her stare intensely. "You need to wait until I'm finished with you." The impact of his heated gaze drove away any irritation she felt and Kate obediently removed her hand from her crotch. "Good girl."

Nothing could have prepared her for what happened next. He knelt on the floor and grabbed her cheeks, spreading them roughly as he stuffed his face into her ass. Kate's eyes went wide with shock as he pressed his tongue against her tight little asshole, wriggling it as he tried to shove it further in. She arched her back and moaned, it felt so dirty but she wanted more. Richie, however, had other plans. As quickly as he had begun it was over, he rose from the tiled floor of the shower, grinning down at her sadistically. "There you are Katie, all squeaky clean. Now why don't you be a good girl and go get big brother cleaned up, he looks like he could use a hand." Knees weak with lust she locked eyes with Richie and reached out to take the sponge from him with a shaky hand. Richie grinned like a cat and succeeded the sponge to her grasp.

Lathering up the sponge she approached Seth, his dark eyes were hot upon her skin, scorching her with desire. Standing over him as he kept his seat on the bench she started on his shoulders, caressing his hard muscles with diligence and care. Seth's body was covered in a plethora of bruises and cuts, but he never once flinched as she washed his wounds, his eyes stayed steady upon her as she worked. Kate bit her lip as her hands moved across the broad expanse of his chest, then slowly down the ripple of muscles of his stomach, she could feel them twitch beneath her fingers as she ran the sponge down his abdomen. His cock stood hard at attention and she teased it a bit, brushing her fingers over the tip as she washed him. Soft skin over hardness like steel, he throbbed in response to her attentions, begging for more.

She curled her hand around his huge shaft and began to pump him, slow and hard. Seth moaned and leaned back against the tiled wall of the shower, the expression of pure bliss on his face sent her desire into overdrive and she moved closer, her pussy aching to be touched. Suddenly there were hands on her, clutching her her hips Richie lifted Kate up and settled her on his big brother's lap. She straddled Seth on the shower bench and began rubbing her clit against his solid length, he grabbed her ass and pressed himself hard against her. As she rocked against him she began undulating her hips, pushing his tip ever closer to her wet, needy slit.

Seth grabbed her hips firmly, keeping her from his erection. "Hold on sweeetheart. Hey Richie," his little brother stared down at them as he stood close by, masturbating, "go grab us some rubbers." As he turned to go Kate twisted around and grabbed his wrist, Richie looked a question at her.

Her heart pounded nervously in her chest as she worked herself up to asking for something that they would most certainly deny. "What if we.......could we maybe......do it without?" Kate wanted, _needed_ skin on skin contact. Blue eyes held her fast and she squirmed uncomfortably as the seconds ticked by but then he was smiling down at her, wide and wild. Apparently Richie wanted it as badly as she did.

Seth tensed beneath her, shaking himself from his blissful state he sat up, pressing her against his strong chest. The older Gecko looked down at her with a deep, soulful stare. "As amazing as that sounds baby girl, I don't know if it's the best idea."

"Please Seth, I want to feel you." She rocked her hips against him as she begged for it.

He looked down at her, considering, then let out a long, weary sigh. "Fuck it."

Kate gasped as his hands tightened on her hips and he sat her down hard, impaling her on his cock. His eyes rolled back at the feeling of her naked pussy enveloping him completely and he wrapped his arms tight around her, pressing his face into her breasts. It took a moment for her to get purchase against the bench but soon they had found a steady rhythm, his hips came up to meet her as she rocked against him, hard and slow. Richie knelt down behind her and she gasped delightedly as he pressed his tip to her tight little ass hole and began to pleasure himself, the vibrations of his quick jerk motion against her furled entrance heightened her pleasure phenomenally.

Seth groaned as she clenched around him, and he began picking up his pace, grunting as he thrust up into her quick and hard. "Oh fuck baby....unh....you feel so good. Shit....you're pussy is so damn....mmm" He growled, grabbing her hips roughly and slammed into her. She felt his dick throbbing inside of her, hot and incredibly hard. Kate's eyes went wide as Seth came, semen, warm and slick slid down as he reared back and pumped into her a couple more times.

He slid out of her aching pussy and grabbed at his little brother, pulling him forward. Kate arched her back to accept Richie's bare cock, it slid in with little difficulty as she was already dripping with Seth's cum. She was so close and the feeling of Richie filling her to the hilt sent her into a wild frenzy. Kate was thrown against Seth as Richie took her from behind, her breasts crushed against the older brother's muscular chest. She held tight to Seth's shoulders, bracing herself against Richie's aggressive thrusts and she began bucking her hips back against him, meeting each thrust with one of her own. His raw flesh pounding into her felt like absolute heaven.

"That's it baby girl, you like it when I fuck you hard?" Kate moaned with her face pressed into Seth's chest then gasped as stinging slap landed against her ass cheek. "Answer me."

"Yes." He slapped her again and the heat from his palm stroke traveled through her body, winding her up tight.

"Yes?"

"YES! I like it when you fuck me hard!"

"Good girl." He slammed into her again and again. "I can feel your pussy getting tighter, are you gonna cum for me baby girl?" Another harsh slap stung her tender backside. She panted in a lustful frenzy against Seth's chest and he held her tight to him as his little brother rode her.

"Yes! Yes, I'm going to cum, I'm....so....close!" Richie dug his fingers into her hips and pulled her closer. No longer rearing back he buried his cock deep inside of her, moving her hips up and down against his dick as he thrust powerfully into her. She shrieked as her pussy tightened and throbbed around him. "Yes Richie! Yes, yes, yes!" Kate felt Richie's cock throb deep in her pussy as he rode her hard through their orgasms, he cried out and she could feel his hot seed spill inside of her. With a deep sigh of gratification he pulled his cock out and Kate collapsed in Seth's arms, her muscles completely unresponsive.

She flinched as Richie washed the cum that was spilling from her tender pussy with the sponge, he was being gentle but she was extremely sensitive. Once he was satisfied Richie set the sponge down and went to turn the water off and after a moment he came back to them with an armload of towels. Wrapping her up he lifted Kate from Seth's lap and carried her to the bedroom, toweling her dry as he went. His big brother followed close behind, running a towel over his body and scrubbing at his hair.

Kate squealed with delight as Richie tossed her onto the thick mattress and dove in after her. Seth's bed was deliciously plush and she burrowed in, getting pleasantly cozy. Forgoing the pillows she rested her head on Richie's chest and he pulled her close, wrapping his long arm around her. Seth climbed in on Richie's other side and lay his head against his brother's chest. Brown eyes inches from hers Seth gazed at her while he ran a hand along her arm, caressing her gently. Kate's eyelids slid closed and she drifted off without a care in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The original title for this chapter was _Shimmy Shimmy Ya_ , you know, cause she likes it raw. Don't we all?
> 
> ...........But no, seriously guys, practice safe sex.


	23. We should all be so lucky to have an uncle like Eddie.

_Kate,_

_went out to grab a few things, didn't want to wake you. Be back in a few hours._

She sighed and tossed the hastily scrawled note down onto the mattress. A room without windows and an amazingly comfortable bed made for a blissfully peaceful slumber, maybe too peaceful. By the clock on the bedside table it was just before noon. Kate flopped back down among the pillows but couldn't justify actually sleeping past noon to herself and her stomach rumbled loudly in agreement. She remembered Eddie saying something the night before about pizza in the fridge so she stretched lazily and rolled out of bed before she changed her mind.

First order of business was to find something to wear, she literally had nothing. Walking across the room she hurried past the sketch of Vanessa, carefully averting her eyes from the woman's stare. She knew it was childish and silly but, naked as the day she was born, Kate couldn't face even a drawing of Seth's ex-wife. Throwing open the doors of Seth's armoire she snagged a button up shirt and a pair of boxers. She had to roll the waistband of the boxers up a few times to keep them in place then roll the sleeves of his shirt up more than a few times to free her hands.

Kate cracked the door to Seth's room and peeked out, the smell of strong coffee was welcome and enticing, it pulled her toward the kitchen. Framed photos dotted the walls throughout the apartment and she strayed from her venture to the kitchen to peer at them. Most were of people she didn't know but her jaw literally dropped as she gawked at a picture of Eddie in his younger years, he must have been in his early twenties in this photo. She blushed as she realized she was checking out a picture of a man who was now well over three times her age but he was incredibly handsome. He had his long hair slicked back and was smiling brightly, standing next to a man of similar age who had his hand on Eddie's shoulder in a friendly manner. They were sporting dark, matching suits, just like Seth and Richie.

"That's me and Ray, back before Seth was born." Startled, Kate spun to look at Eddie, she hadn't even heard him approach. He stared wistfully at the photo, images of days gone by playing behind his dreamy eyes. Something he said tugged at Kate.

"Back before Seth was born.....That's Ray _Gecko?_ " She turned back to the photo, scrutinizing it. Kate didn't know what she expected to find, obviously the man wouldn't have horns growing out of his head but she was almost dismayed to find him looking so..... _nice_. He had terrified his sons when he was alive. Though Seth was loathe to talk about it Richie had told her their father had, on several occasions, beaten his older brother within an inch of his life. There were still nights when Seth would wake soaked in sweat and shaking uncontrollably, over two decades since Ray Gecko's death and he was still terrorizing his oldest son. She turned from the picture disgustedly. It was incredibly unfair that the man looked so normal, you would think that someone so hateful would show some sign of the darkness lurking inside.

Eddie shook his head sadly. "Yeah, that was Ray Gecko. He used to be a pretty stand up guy. We grew up together, best friends from preschool to juvenile hall we were always gettin into trouble together and always had each other's backs. We were a lot like Seth and Richie really. This was taken right after we pulled our first bigtime heist." His eyes lit up and he smiled ruefully, "Ray was the greatest boxman there ever was. Even Richie'll admit to that and he hates the bastard."

Kate found it odd, hearing Eddie speak of him with so much fondness. "What......what happened to him?"

"Well, that's a conversation that can't be had on an empty stomach. C'mon, I'll cook you up some breakfast." Her stomach grumbled loudly at the mention of breakfast and he chuckled at her abashed expression. "There's a fresh pot of coffee too."

Eddie got her situated at the breakfast bar with a cup of coffee that was as creamy pale as her skin and sweet enough to set her teeth on edge, it was perfect.

"Ray Gecko's downfall was a woman so terrible that to this day I won't soil my mouth with her name." As he spoke Eddie moved about the kitchen, setting a cutting board and knife on the breakfast bar next to her he turned to the fridge. "He was completely in love, though I don't know what he ever saw in her, they were miserable together." He shook his head ruefully as he closed the fridge and carried an armful of vegetables and a carton of eggs back to the cutting board. Kate watched in amazement as Eddie began to slice the vegetables with the knife skills of a trained chef. Apparently this family was full of hidden talents. "The woman was never fit to be a mother and she split right after she had Seth, barely even stayed in the hospital long enough to recover from his birth before she left. That was when Ray started hittin the bottle. _Hard._ He blamed Seth for destroying their relationship. Poor kid made his first enemy before he even spoke his first word." Eddie gestured emphatically with the knife as he spoke, becoming more passionate as he carried on. "She'd come back for a while then leave again, in and out of their lives constantly. Then one day she showed up, six months pregnant." Eddie moved from the cutting board to the stove, the gas range clicked a couple of times as he set two burners alight then he placed a frying pan over each of the burners and dropped in a nob of butter in one and a splash of oil in the other. "Ray was furious, he didn't believe the kid was his. She ended up in the hospital the first night she was back, he had worked her over pretty good."

"He beat her while she was pregnant!" She shrilled incredulously, Kate knew it was sinful but she thanked God that the despicable Gecko was dead.

Eddie nodded his head in disgust as he cracked a couple of eggs effortlessly against the countertop, spilling their contents into a cup then gave them a quick whisk. "Yeah, l think he was hopin' she'd lose the baby. When Richie came out a spittin' image of his father Ray actually felt guilty that he had almost killed his own son in utero. I think that's why he never took to beatin' on Richie like he did Seth, probably figured he had already had enough. When the boys' mother left for the last time she told Ray it was because of his drinkin' and his beatin' on her but he knew in his heart that it was because of the boys. Two kids that neither of them ever wanted." Bringing the cutting board to the stove he used his knife to push the vegetables into the oiled pan, then grabbed the cup with the eggs and poured them into the buttered pan, swirling it once for even distribution. "Sometimes I think it woulda been better if Ray had split too. I tried to get him to let me take the kids but he was too vindictive, he lived to take his revenge on those boys. Especially Seth." Eddie took a breath to steady himself, visibly shaken as he recounted the terrible memory. Turning a sad smile to Kate he gestured toward the living room with a spatula. "That picture hangin over there, the one with the dark frame, go grab it for me will ya sweetheart."

Kate slid from her seat and padded across the living room to retrieve the picture, she smiled as she lifted the frame gently from it's place on the wall. A younger Eddie knelt down between two boys, they stood in front of a lake grinning ecstatically, each holding up a fish as they posed for the picture. It was hard to believe that the goofy little kid with glasses in this photo was the same, beautiful man she had fallen in love with, though Richie still got that same silly smile when he was truly delighted. Seth simply looked like a much younger version of himself, it was uncanny how his facial features had barely changed. His chin jutted out cockily as he held up his fish, obviously proud of himself. Her heart sank a bit as she walked back to her seat, studying the photo. Upon closer inspection she noticed that Seth was sporting two dark black eyes, a very swollen nose, and there, almost unnoticeable behind the fish he was holding up, his other arm was tucked against his side in a sling.

When she slid back into her seat there was a steaming hot omelette sitting on the breakfast bar and a fresh cup of coffee that looked to be just to her liking. "This is a great picture of the three of you, you look like you're having so much fun! But poor Seth....."

Eddie took the photo from her, staring at it fondly. "I took the boys camping for a week after their dad died, they needed some time away. This was taken two days after the fire. Richie told me that Ray had really done a number on his brother that night, he was certain their father was aiming to kill him but he passed out drunk before he could finish the job. That was the last beating that Seth ever took from his old man. Bruised ribs, a broken nose, and a fractured arm and the kid never complained, not once! These here are the first fish the boys ever caught, they were so proud." He chuckled and set the photo down on the countertop. Kate felt an overwhelming fondness for this man, he loved those boys and had raised them up the best way that he knew how. They were hardened criminals but that was the world they lived in, Eddie had given them all the skills they needed to survive and flourish. And he had given them love.

Eddie shared a friendly smile with her then looked down at her untouched plate. "Go on and eat while it's still hot darlin', you must be starvin'." She was.

That first bite was heaven. Peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and onions folded into beautifully fluffy eggs, who knew that a simple omelette could be so divine? Eddie tidied up the kitchen quietly, leaving her in peace as she devoured her meal. Once he finished with the kitchen he poured himself a cup of black coffee and pulled up a seat across from her, sipping contentedly as she finished her plate. Sighing, she slid the empty dish to the side feeling pleasantly full and, for the first time in a long time, comfortably at home. There was something about sitting in a kitchen with a cup of coffee and good company that was just so relaxing.

As the silence between them grew Kate could tell that Eddie had something on his mind that he wanted to say. "So......you and Richie huh?" The corners of her mouth turned up into a wide grin.

"Yeah, me and Richie." She looked down shyly, staring into her cup. "He can be obnoxious and oh so frustrating at times but he's also really, very sweet. When he wants to be."

Eddie chuckled at that. "Sounds about right. He was always good at gettin under people's skin, made it into a goddamned art form really......." He sighed setting his cup on the bar. She could feel his eyes hard upon her and Kate looked up, caught in his turquoise stare. "And, Seth too?"

Kate's jaw dropped open but her throat closed up tight so no sound could come out. Her ears were ringing and she felt lightheaded, dangerously close to fainting. Eddie reached across the countertop and placed a firm, steadying hand over hers, he smiled apologetically but his eyes held a glimmer of mischief. "I'm sorry sweetheart, I shouldn't have just dropped that on you." He squeezed her hand and chuckled. "Listen, I don't pretend to know everything those boys are up to, and it's really none of my business. All I know is that they've never done well when they were apart. The last time they went their own way Seth ended up doin' hard time and Richie nearly lost his mind, it was scary." Kate knew how close Richie was to losing his mind back then, she had seen it first hand. A tiny seed of doubt still remained, fear that he would one day slide back into that lawless oblivion.

"There's never been a woman that was able to survive caught up between the two of them, God knows that Vanessa caught the worst of it. She still pines for him, you know." Kate's eyes went wide with surprise. "Yeah, I visit her up in Gatesville from time to time. We were friends before her and Seth got together and I guess we're still friends now. Her problem was that she just couldn't accept that it was never gonna be just her and Seth, it was always gonna be Seth and Richie. Those boys are like a runaway train, you can either jump on and go along for the ride or be smashed into oblivion on the tracks, there is no in between." Eddie shook his head exasperatedly. "Listen to me, jawing on like an old man. I guess what I'm tryin to say, in my roundabout way is that I'm happy you're here Kate. Those boys mean the world to me, and I can see very plainly that you love them too, it's nice to be in the company of a kindred spirit. Make yourself at home and be at ease, you'll get no judgement from me."

Kate felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It felt like ages since her father had died and she kept wondering to herself what he would think about her now, looking down from heaven. Well, he was gone and she would never know his thoughts again. Here was a man from a completely different walk of life but still just as wise, if in a different way. He had a full grasp on the situation and was happy to have her. That was enough to make her feel at peace.

A couple cups of coffee later they were sitting in the kitchen laughing and talking like familiar old friends when Richie strolled in with an armful of bags. He came around the breakfast bar and planted a kiss on the top of her head.

"Did you miss me?"

She smiled up at him sweetly. "Didn't even notice you were gone. What's all this?" Kate peeked into one of the bags and was pleased to see a lovely, poppy red floral print. "Clothes?"

"Yeah," Seth answered as he swaggered into the room, "we figured you could use somethin' to wear since we had to leave everything behind when that little party at the motel got outta hand." He came around and shoved his brother out of the way so that he could wrap his arms around her, then he pulled back, looking her up and down. "Though now that I see how good you look in my shirt I'm thinkin' maybe we should take some of this stuff back." He seemed to be in high spirits and Kate was glad to see it.

Eddie whistled, his eyebrows climbing up toward his scalp. "You guys went shopping for the poor girl without bringin' her along. Whao boy, that's brave!"

"Well Richie did the shoppin, so he's the one to blame if you have any complaints." He smiled down at her brightly. " _I_ was out lookin' for some info."

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Kate asked him apprehensively, though his manner was casual she could see a weight behind his eyes that spoke volumes.

"Yeah, and you're not gonna like it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just for the record I love my coffee black and strong enough to kill a horse, but I hold no grudge against those of you who may like it much lighter and sweeter. To each his own. There is something so universally pleasing about sharing a cup of coffee with good company.


	24. Commitment

_"They're already here?!"_ Kate was incredulous, they had run so fast and so hard but it seemed that someone had the drop on them at every turn. "How did they find us so quickly?"

They sat in Eddie's living room, Seth and Richie were side by side on the couch while she and Eddie occupied a pair of well worn armchairs opposite them.

"From what I could find out they've been skulkin around town for weeks, keepin' an eye on the shop in case we showed up. Jesus Christ Eddie, I'm sorry we got you mixed up in all this shit." Seth grimaced, shaking his head helplessly.

"Don't worry about it kid, I'd like to see them try somethin. I may be outta the game but it doesn't mean I'm outta practice." Eddie grinned wolfishly at them. "So, what's the play boys?"

The Gecko brothers shared a knowing look and Seth nodded determinedly. "Well, Richie and I talked about it and the way we see it we've only got two options. Since we can't seem to come to an agreement we've decided to leave that decision to you, Princess."

Kate jumped as all eyes now rested on her, anger welled up at them for putting her in this position. "How can you leave that decision to me?"

Richie put his hand on his brother's leg to still his mouth. "Why should it be our decision alone Kate? You're part of this family just as much as we are and we say it's up to you. Whatever you choose to do then we'll do it, no arguing and no backing out."

All arguments died on her lips. She wanted their acceptance and now that she had it she couldn't throw it back in their faces. "Okay......so what are our options?"

Seth spoke up with a sad smile on his face. "Well Princess, we could cut and run. They've already made it plain that they can find us wherever we go so we'd have to keep moving. Always." She could see deep heartache in his mournful, dark eyed stare. This wasn't the life he wanted for her but he had promised never to ask her to leave them again. "Life on the run wouldn't be so bad, at least we'd be together." Though he was sad to offer her this choice he also seemed hopeful that she would pick this option.

Richie sat forward in his seat, his blue eyes bright and intense. "Or, we could do the job. We could pull off this heist for ourselves, not Carlos. We know he very probably wants us dead so we're going to have to beat him to the punch. There's no room for mistakes here Kate. If we do this I need to know that you're ready to kill anyone that stands in your way." She knew he was talking about her brother. Though Seth had warmed up to the idea that Scott might actually be trying to help them Richie didn't believe it for a second. His distrust of her brother went back to a fateful day, many, many months ago when Scott had pulled a gun on the him. Though he was never in any actual danger of being shot Richie was ever one to hold a grudge and he certainly held on tight to this one.

A lifetime of always looking over her shoulder, never being able to settle down wasn't even an option for her. Though there was the dreadful possibility that she might have to kill her brother doing the job was the only choice. She needed to finish this, one way or another.

"I think we should do the heist." She felt a pang of sympathy when Seth's face fell with her words but he nodded in determination, he had already known what her answer would be. "I can't spend another moment looking over my shoulder, wondering if today is the day that I'm going to lose you. I'm ready and I'll do whatever it takes." Richie beamed at her with overwhelming pride, he too had known what her answer would be and she did not disappoint.

"Well said sweetheart!" Eddie reached over and clapped a jovial hand to her shoulder gripping it tightly, Kate smiled widely back at him, flourishing with his approval. "So when do we make our move? I assume it's gonna have to be soon since they probably know you're here."

Richie leaned forward in his seat to stare intently at his father figure, deep concern painted his face. "These people are really dangerous Eddie, they're not even people really, they're animals. Every time we've gone up against them we've barely made it out whole. I think you should go underground for a while, until this all blows over."

"I've never been one to turn tail and run, especially not where you boys are concerned, and I'm not gonna start now." He straightened in his seat, the look of determination on his face made it plain that he would not be swayed. "Besides, if this operation is as big as you say it is then I probably already know someone on the inside."

Though she was worried for him Kate also felt relieved to have someone on their side like Uncle Eddie, the man was a force of nature.

\--

Seth stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom fixing his tie. As his fingers worked absentmindedly he studied his reflection and sighed. He looked just as tired as he felt, deep shadows darkened his eyes underscored by fatigue lines and was that..... _Shit._ Leaning in and cocking his head from side to side Seth frowned at the gray hairs scattered, almost imperceptibly, at his temples. Those random hairs seemed to be multiplying at an alarming rate lately.

Richie appeared in the mirror behind him and reached around to adjust his tie, Seth slapped his brother's hand away indignantly. "It's fine, leave it alone. We're goin for drinks at a dive bar, not out on a date."

Ignoring his mood Richie nuzzled his lips along his neck, speaking softly against his skin, "It's kind of like a date."

Seth spun in his arms, scowling up at Richie irritably. His brother was treating this like any other job instead of like the shit storm it was. Not that he believed in crap like karmic retribution but life had a way of coming back around on you. Seth couldn't help thinking that this job was payback for all of the nasty, terrible shit they had done. "It might be your idea of a good time but it certainly ain't mine." They were about to pay for their sins and Kate, who had already lost so much, was going along with them hand in hand to hell.

He tried to shove his brother off but, truth to be told, Richie had always been the stronger of the two and he kept his grip tight around his waist, chuckling as Seth struggled against him. Even after five years of hard time, working out every day and fighting in the yard he was still no match for Richie and they both knew it. "Come on Seth, Kate's made her decision. We agreed to do whatever she chose, no arguments."

"I'm not arguing, I'm just not eager to tempt fate with another brush up against those Snakes, we were lucky to make it out alive last time. I got a bad feelin about this." The key to being a good criminal wasn't always in skill or knowledge but in listening to your gut. Seth's gut was twisted with dread, bile boiling up and screaming at him.

Richie pressed his forehead to his own, holding him with his stare. What was it about those crazy blue eyes that made him feel so calm? They were wild and chaotic but gazing into them Seth began to feel at ease. "I need you to focus, alright? We can do this Seth, we can pull this off but I need you to get your head in the game." Richie was right, he needed to let go of his anxiety and focus on getting this job done. Letting himself get distracted was out of the question if they were going to make it through this alive.

"Alright...." He exhaled slowly, nodding his head against his brother's. "Alright, we're already committed to doin' this thing, there isn't any point in cryin about it now."

Richie grinned like a fox, it was crazy how excited he was to run headlong toward their doom. "The Gecko brothers ride again." His screwball grin widened as he leaned in to kiss Seth. For a while he let the world fall away and lost himself in Richie, the silky soft feel of his lips pressed against his own, the clean smell of his hair gel beneath the haze of cigarettes, and his long, lean body curved around him. Tangled up together he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his little brother's veins, it was intoxicating and Seth began to feel the excitement of the job seep into him. Richie wanted that big score and he wasn't going to let something as trivial as the fear of death stand in his way.

Seth pulled away from his brother before things got out of hand. "As much as I'd like to keep this little party goin we're on a schedule. Grab Kate outta the bathroom, she's gotta be done gettin' ready by now. Let's go make a spectacle of ourselves." 

\--  
Kate fiddled with her straw, her Bloody Mary sat basically untouched, she was too nervous to drink though maybe she should since it would calm her nerves. It was a short trip from the repair shop to this bar, they could have walked it in ten minutes really but had instead ridden in Eddie's Volvo. Twisting in her seat she peered out the window at the silver sedan, who would have thought that a great criminal like Eddie Cruickshank would drive something so boring?

"Calm down Katie, drink your drink, act natural and stop fidgeting. We've got company." Richie looked at her disapprovingly from across the table. Blushing furiously she resisted the urge to twist about in her seat to look for the "company" he spoke of, that would be a real amateur move. It made her skin crawl, knowing that there was a Snake sitting somewhere in this bar with eyes on them. Seth sat next to her, practically lounging in his seat as he sipped his whisky neat, sitting across from them Richie was just as cool as he took a languid nip from his glass.

Trying to distract herself Kate made small talk. "So a Volvo huh? I would have thought that Eddie would drive something a little more......"

"Flashy?" Richie raised his eyebrows, grinning fondly. "Uncle Eddie always says, "The key to a good getaway car isn't always in speed, it's in the car's ability to blend in." He always got on us for driving flashy muscle cars but we just can't bring ourselves to drive something so.....pedestrian."

Seth leaned forward in his seat, smiling widely. "Tell me about it, I felt like I shoulda been going out for the early bird special drivin' that thing. That little S60 R can move in a pinch though, gets up to one-ten in fourteen seconds flat! Me and Eddie took it for a spin down the highway after he bought the thing, we're cruisin' along at top speed and he turns and says to me, "Safe, fast, and forgettable Seth, it's the trifecta of getaway cars!" He chuckled then snagged his glass and downed the rest of his drink in one gulp. "I think it's about time to get this show on the road. You wanna come up to the bar and get another drink with me?"

Richie swigged the rest of his whisky and set his glass down. "Alright, I could use a refill." He rose from his seat and came around the table to give her a kiss then leaned close to whisper in her ear. _"I love you Katie, be seeing you soon."_ She stared after him longingly as he followed his brother up to the bar.

They stood side by side, waiting on their drinks and making idle conversation, Kate watched on as their movements became more animated, hostile even. All of a sudden Richie yelled at his brother angrily. "THAT'S YOUR FUCKING PROBLEM, YOU STILL TREAT ME LIKE THE LITTLE BABY BROTHER. I CAN STILL PLAN SHIT!" He rounded on Seth, eyes wild, fists clenched by his side, his chest heaving. "YOU ARE CONSTANTLY DOUBTING ME AND I AM FUCKING DONE WITH IT!"

Seth squared up, face flushed red and teeth bared as he thrust his finger into Richie's chest. "I TREAT YOU LIKE THE LITTLE BABY BROTHER BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU ACT. YOU CAN'T PLAN SHIT ANYMORE, YOU'VE LOST YOUR TOUCH!" Seth shoved him hard. Without warning Richie swung, his fist landed squarely across his brother's jaw and Seth fell back against the bar. "YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" Seth lunged at his brother, grappling his waist he brought him to the floor. He climbed on top of Richie with lightening speed and began raining down blows, most of which connected with his face. Flecks of blood began to fly from Richie's nose and a deep gouge where Seth's fist had pounded into his brother's cheekbone.

This was getting out of hand, Kate ran over and tried pulling Seth off of his brother. "Stop! This is too much Seth! PLEASE STOP!" She pulled at his arm as he reared back and was stunned as his elbow caught her in the gut. Kate fell to the floor, gasping for air. Seth looked over in horror as he saw what he had done and Richie used the opening to throw him off.

"You fucking jackass, look what you did!" He loomed over Seth menacingly, a woman sitting a couple of barstools down screamed as Richie pulled his knife out and flipped it open. Kate was shocked that he would take things so far, she was scared for Seth. Richie's expression was wild, his eyes wide and crazed as he glared at his brother. Seth gave her a pained look, obviously regretful that he had accidentally struck her, then he rose to his feet.

"Richie, calm down buddy. I didn't mean for that to happen, Kate's alright, aren't you darlin'?" She nodded vigorously from where she sat on the floor, too overwhelmed to stand. Seth edged in closer, hands up disarmingly. "Kind of a dick move, pullin' a knife in a fistfight brother." Richie smiled, the tension seemed to go out of him and Kate let go of a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding. Then he lunged at his older brother. Time seemed to slow as she watched that blade inch closer toward Seth, Kate knew that she was screaming but the sound seemed to be coming from somewhere else, not her own mouth. Seth's hand came up, shielding him from the knife as it darted toward his face and the blade cut into his palm, leaving a deep, angry wound. "SHIT! You fuckin' asshole!"

Richie blinked as if dazed and lowered the knife. Giving his brother one last, mournful look he spun about and dashed for the door. Kate scrambled from the floor and ran after him, she got to the door just in time to see Eddie's car tear through the parking lot and dart out into traffic. A moment later a black car with darkly tinted windows sped past and turned down the street, going the same direction as the Volvo.

Her heart clenched with grief as she stared down the road long after the car was lost from sight. "Alright Kate, let's go home." Seth put a hand on her back and led her out the door.

Once outside Seth stripped off his jacket and button up shirt, he wound the ruined shirt around his hand, using it to staunch the flow of blood. They spent the walk back to Eddie's apartment in silence, Seth obviously didn't want to talk, he wasn't much for sharing. The look on Richie's face as he slashed at his brother was burned into her mind and the scene kept playing over and over in her head. That pleasant, congenial smile and his crazy, wild eyes. Though distracted she could feel eyes on her, it took Kate everything she had to keep from turning about and facing down their stalker. Ever since Seth had told her they were being watched there had been a constant itch between her shoulder blades, even when she was completely alone. Knowing that they were back there now, watching, made her squirm.

Eddie's apartment was quiet, it felt lonely and cold as if the absence of the man had sucked all of the life from the space. Kate didn't relax until they were back in Seth's room with the light from the lamps creating a dim, comfortable glow. Seth shut himself in the bathroom, mumbling something about getting cleaned up. She kicked off her boots and climbed into the bed without undressing, emotionally exhausted she crawled under the covers and burrowed her head into the pillows. They smelled like Seth and Richie, it made her heart hurt.

The mattress shifted as Seth slid beneath the covers, pressing himself to her back. She snuggled up against him, taking comfort in his solid presence. "Is he.......is he going to be okay?"

Seth's stubble rubbed her shoulder as he placed a gentle kiss on her neck. "Yeah, he'll be fine. We just need to give him some time."

"What happened? He looked like he was ready to kill you back there."

He sighed, the wash of his breath was warm against her. "I don't know, I guess I picked the wrong fight. It was stupid of me really, I know what makes him tick and that button was one that I shouldn't have pushed. Tellin' Richie he can't plan a job is too close to flat out sayin' he's crazy."

"Is he?" Kate winced, the words had just fallen out of her mouth.

............"I don't know."

Long after Seth began snoring softly into her hair Kate lay awake, Richie's wild stare still burned into her mind.


	25. Red as Sin

_"Damn!"_

If Richard Gecko had been a woman this would be how he dressed, it smacked of him in every way. Kate stood in the doorway to Seth's bathroom wearing a tight little skirt suit, the inky black fabric had a subtle, satiny sheen to it and the cut fit her superbly. She wore the blazer without a shirt beneath and there was a hint of red lace peeking out from the narrow, plunging neckline. Seth's fingers itched to pop open those buttons so he could get a better look at her bra. A pencil skirt hugged her hips and when she saw him gawking Kate smiled and turned about so that he could get the full effect, the delicious curve of her backside was defined to perfection. He chewed his lip as he followed the line of her legs in sheer black stockings down to her shoes. Red as sin with a pointed toe they were much higher than the heels she normally wore, each ankle was cuffed with a seductive red strap. _Red bra, red shoes, do the panties match? Oh god, I hope so._

Kate had her hair pulled up in a high, neat bun and the way she had the front slicked back was an impeccable facsimile of Richie's style. It was incredibly arousing for Seth to see her channeling his brother so perfectly. Though he never thought she needed makeup he marveled at how mature she looked wearing it, her eyelids were darkened subtly and full, ebony lashes highlighted the beryl of her irises. Lips as red as her shoes sent an electric shock through all of the dark, dirty corners of his mind. Seth wanted to smear that lipstick across her face with his mouth, see those lips paint a red masterpiece down the full length of his cock. His heartbeat pounded out a counter rhythm to each step Kate took as she sauntered toward him.

"Do you like it?"

Seth had always thought that much of Kate's appeal was in her innocent, nubile appearance but looking at the woman standing before him he could see that simply wasn't so. The words Princess, baby girl, and Katie-Cakes left his tongue as he stared at her, a vision of mature divinity. He swallowed thickly around the lump in his throat and nodded his approval, never had he ever seen her looking so goddamned sexy. "I love it Kate!"

A spark lit in her eyes, like she knew what he actually meant was, _'I love you Kate.'_ He did. Seth could still remember the exact moment he had fallen for her. After barely surviving their encounter with Santanico Pandemonium the Gecko brothers had stumbled out the doors of the Titty Twister looking for a car to steal. It was then that they found Kate. Covered in blood and grime, she looked dazed and completely helpless as she wandered through the parking lot, except she wasn't helpless at all. That girl had survived through impossible odds against enemies that he and his brother had almost fallen to. In the blinding afternoon sunlight he had seen the truth of her, Kate's entire world had just been torn apart but she had come through it with sheer determination and strength of will. Though he didn't realize it at the time the complete and overwhelming sense of awe he felt at that moment was when he had fallen in love with her. She had been the one with enough guts to say the words first and though Seth had wanted to say it back she had stopped him, afraid that he might not really mean it. Since that night he just couldn't seem to find the right time to tell her but he was sure she knew.

Though Kate was a vision of absolute perfection, there was something off about her. Seth tried to slow his mind from it's lustful racing and really look at her, trying to figure out what was nagging at him. The tiny gold cross that she wore at her throat was missing. Seth was so used to seeing that delicate gold chain around her neck that it's absence was jarring. "Where is your necklace? Did you loose it?"

Kate shook her head, her smile was slow and sad. "Everything else that Richie bought for me was so perfect I could swear I had picked it out myself. This though.......this is entirely him. It just didn't feel right." Seth understood, though seeing her without the necklace didn't feel right to him. The mention of his brother was sobering and they shared a mournful look. It wrenched his heart to have left things so shitty between the two of them but it couldn't be helped. Even with Kate so near he felt cold and empty, he reached out to her, needing her warmth to fill the void his brother had left.

Her cheeks colored as he pulled her close for a passionate kiss. Seth closed his eyes and lost himself in her touch, he loved the feeling of her soft hands on his skin, running up his neck and gently trailing along his jawline. Trying to be mindful not to muss her hair or smudge her makeup he kept his hands occupied with cupping the tight curve of her ass in the silky material of her skirt. Unable to help himself he pulled back and hooked a finger inside the lapel of her blazer, peeking in at her lacy bra. "I like that color on you, are there matching panties to go with this?"

Kate rolled her eyes and chuckled at his gauche question. "You certainly know how to ruin a moment........but yes, the panties match." He raised his eyebrows delightedly and she quickly grabbed his hands, holding them in a firm grasp as he made a move for the zipper of her skirt. "We don't have time for this! We're supposed to be on the job, remember?" She pulled away from him and Seth stared after her longingly as she strutted across the bedroom. They were on a tight schedule but surely there was time.

Kate made her way over to where her purse lay on the table next to his whisky and when she leaned over to retrieve it Seth swept across the room and wrapped her in a strong embrace. He kissed his way up the back of her neck then lapped at the shell of her ear. "Aw c'mon, it's more than a coupla hours till sunset, we've got time." Leaning in he peered over her shoulder to watch as he pulled her skirt up slowly. His breath caught in his throat as the fabric slid past the tops of her stockings to reveal the black straps of her garter belt and her red lace lingerie, the dark patch of her pubic hair peeked through the barely opaque fabric. "Nice, very nice."

His hand dipped beneath her panties, running over the soft down of her pubic hair but she squeezed her legs together tightly to keep him from her sex. "We shouldn't be doing this right now!" Her words came out in breathy gasps as she made her feeble plea. Seth growled in irritation and grabbed the back of her neck, pushing her down so that she was bent over the table.

Leaning down he pressed himself to her back, pinning her to the table, his achingly hard dick crushed against her rear. He licked a wet strip up the side of her neck and nipped her earlobe roughly. "Tell me you want me to stop. Just say the word and I'll let you up." There was a moment of silence, punctuated by her heavy breathing as he waited on her answer. "No? Well then........" Seth stood up straight, keeping her pinned down with one hand he used his free hand to undo his pants. Released from the confines of his slacks his cock stood at attention, it throbbed with anticipation as he stared down at Kate's beautiful backside. The straps of her garter belt stretched tight across her sweet little cheeks and the red lace covering her pussy was dark with her juices. He hiked her skirt up a little further and instead of removing her panties he hooked a finger in the wet lace and yanked them to the side. A little groan escaped him as he pressed his tip to her, her pussy lips were slippery wet, she was ready for him and he couldn't wait any longer.

Kate gasped in surprise as he shoved his dick into her, her taut little pussy gave him some resistance but he kept pushing until he was fully seated inside of her. The tight, wet heat surrounding his cock was pure bliss. "Ohhh, baby girl you feel so fucking good." Without waiting for her to adjust he pulled back and thrust into her again and again, fucking her with such intensity that the table began banging into the wall. The rocks glasses and whisky bottle clinked together in a wild cacophony as they slid about precariously but at this moment he didn't really give a fuck if they all smashed onto the floor. Kate was coming undone beneath him, her hands pressed against the tabletop, fingers scrabbling as they searched for purchase on the smooth surface, each time he pounded into her she let go a wild shriek. She began quaking with uncontrollable tremors that ran from her feet to her thighs and Seth grabbed her hips to steady her shaking legs. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, ohhh Jesus fuck..." His mouth ran on and on with a mind of it's own, the stream of curses becoming more unintelligible as he neared climax. Suddenly Kate tensed beneath him, all of her muscles clenching tight and he felt a rush of warm fluid as she came all over him. Each of his hard thrusts was punctuated with a wet smack as his now soaked loins crashed into her ass. Seth felt a bit dizzy and faint as the heated rush of his orgasm overcame his whole body, his fingers dug into the soft flesh of Kate's hips and he shuddered violently as he came inside of her, adding his own sticky wetness to her mess.

Afraid that his legs would give out the second he tried to move Seth placed his palms flat against the table to steady himself as he stood hunched over Kate, listening to her heaving breathing as she came down from her sex high. After a while she pushed herself up from the table, he wasn't quite ready move but she shoved at him insistently so he shuffled back, pants around his ankles, to get out of her way. She spun about to stare at him, eyes wide with amazement and a beautiful rosy flush painting her cheeks. "I don't know whether I should slap you or thank you for that!" Kate grinned at him playfully, it was immensely pleasing for him to see the sated smile on her face. He gave her a cocky grin and brushed a loose strand of hair from her forehead with a gentle touch. Though her hair was a bit mussed from his rough treatment her makeup was miraculously intact. What a shame he couldn't have controlled himself a little better, he had really been looking forward to making a mess of those pretty red lips.

"You slap me and I'm gonna have to bend you back over that table and teach you some manners." Her eyebrows rose in shock and he couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry Princess, you're safe for now, we really do need to get goin."

Kate's face held an odd mix of relief and disappointment but he knew she couldn't take any more right now. She was going to be sore enough as it was. "Okay, give me a minute to get cleaned up and change my underwear, you've made a mess of these."

As she turned to go Seth grabbed her wrist, he knew it was weird but he wanted her to keep the panties on. When he looked at her all perfectly groomed and done up he'd know that underneath her skirt she was wearing the mess that he had made. "Keep them on."

"What? Gross! Seth, they're completely soaked through!" She yanked her wrist from his grasp looking at him incredulously.

He waved the drenched hem of his dress shirt at her before pulling his pants up and tucking it in. "I'll keep the shirt, you keep the panties. It'll be our little secret, okay?" He grinned and winked at her.

Kate gave him an odd look but nodded her acquiescence. "You know, sometimes I think you're the crazy one."


	26. Dusk

Jacknife Jed's looked truly sinister in the waning light of dusk, Kate wondered if it was because she knew the secrets lurking below the surface of the seemingly ordinary looking honky tonk. Neon signs flashed bright and every time the door opened she could hear cacophony from the raucous crowd within, it was like the Twister all over again. _Except this time we know what's waiting for us in there and we're walking into it willingly. God help us._ For the first time since committing to do this job she felt the creeping dread of doubt twisting it's way through her gut.

Seth placed a steadying hand on her arm as they stepped up to the door. "You ready sweetheart?"

Unwilling to let him see her nerves she screwed her face up in determination and nodded. If Seth Gecko could walk up to the gates of Hell looking as confident and casual as if he were out for a Sunday stroll then so could Kate Fuller. "Let's do this thing." _No big deal, right?_

Noise from the rowdy bar assaulted her ears the moment they stepped through the door. There was a band playing at top volume and the patrons and the musicians seemed to be in competition trying to drown each other out. A haze of smoke hung thick in the air and the smell made her long for Richard, any time she caught the whiff of a cigarette the thought of him was reflexive.

"Well, if it ain't the infamous Mr. Gecko and his darlin little sweetheart. I was wonderin when I'd be seein' you again." Kate forced herself to stand straight and face down the man lounging against the wall, it was the very same cowboy that had tried to grab her at the motel. He winked a blue eye and gave her a wolfish grin. "You're lookin' mighty tasty dressed up so nice, is all that just for me? Tell you what, I've already had dinner sweetheart but I still have room for desert." He leaned toward her threateningly and licked his chops, for a moment his blue eyes flashed bright yellow beneath his snowy brows. Seth squared his shoulders and took a menacing step forward but she placed a hand on his arm and he stopped at her touch.

Kate narrowed her eyes at the man and sneered with disdain. "Last time you said something like that to me you ended up with your head smashed into the pavement. Go tell your boss Kate Fuller and Seth Gecko are here to see him." The old man's grin turned sickly beneath his voluminous mustache, he was obviously displeased that she hadn't cowered at his threat. He pushed off from the wall and tipped his hat to her mockingly before slinking away. She could see Seth out of the corner of her eye, grinning from ear to ear as they made their way up to the bar. Kate finally understood the Gecko brother's penchant for wearing suits, there was something about it that made her feel powerful and authoritarian. At the very least it was easier to pretend that she wasn't shaking out of her skin. Kate was trying to find her place in this criminal world and she figured the best way to do that was to keep thinking like a Gecko.

Seth flagged down the bartender and ordered them a couple of drinks. When he handed Kate her glass she peered in at the amber liquor and orange peels dubiously. "What is this?"

He chuckled at her grimace then took a sip of his drink and nodded his approval. "It's an Old Fashioned. I can't see you pullin off a whisky neat and you need an adult beverage to go with that look." His eyes roved up and down her body as he spoke and she felt a blush rise in her cheeks, she knew was thinking about those red panties. Kate tore her eyes from him and turned her focus to the drink in her hand, now was not the time to get distracted. Though the taste of whisky was still quite strong there was a sweetness and a little bit of fizz that cut some of the burn. She didn't hate it.

After a short wait the old cowboy came loping up to the bar. "All right, Mr. Malvado will see you now. A word to the wise, you may wanna keep your tongue in check when you're speakin' to the man, he don't take kindly to beein' sassed. Especially not by no pretty little meatbag. Piss that man off and I just might get to satisfy my sweet tooth after all." His eyes flashed yellow and he bared his fangs threateningly for just a moment then his face turned back to normal.

Seth stepped up to the man, he sniffed and shrugged his shoulders. "Thanks for the advice, we'll keep it in mind. A word of advice for you, threaten her again and I'll knock that sweet tooth right outta your head along with your fangs. Lead the way cowboy." They faced off against each other for a tense moment but the old man must have thought better of keeping his boss waiting, he turned about and gestured at them to follow.

As they made their way through the bar Kate glimpsed a familiar face in the crowd, it was Carlos' girlfriend Maia, the woman who had so brazenly hit on her last time she was at Jacknife Jed's. She caught Kate's gaze and gave her a mischievous wink before quickly turning away, Kate watched as she slipped through a door near the back of the bar. She looked over at Seth and he nodded, he had seen her too. The bar patrons made way for the old cowboy as he led them through the crowd and any that didn't he shoved roughly out of his way without a second look. It seemed like a good way to start a fight but no one seemed willing to take it any further than a dirty look.

Even without the bodyguards standing at attention to either side of his table Kate would have known that the man they approached was Malvado. There was an air about him that said he was used to giving orders and having them followed. He had salt and pepper hair, a dark complexion and there was a predatory gleam in his black eyes as he watched them. At first Kate thought it was her that the man was staring at so hungrily but as they neared the table she realized that Seth was the subject of his gaze.

Before they could come any closer one of the big bodyguards stepped forward, Seth pulled his revolver from the waistband of his slacks and handed it to the man, then motioned her to do the same. She fished out the heavy handgun she had stashed in her purse and handed it over reluctantly. As the bodyguards patted them down Kate complied as nonchalantly as she could and tried not to squirm as she hoped to God they didn't find her other gun. Strapped so far up her thigh that it was practically inside of her was a small .38 Special revolver loaded with five wooden rounds. Though it made her incredibly uncomfortable, as the fear of being shot in the vagina was very real for her, Seth had insisted on the tiny gun. It turned out he was right to insist as it was now the only weapon they had.

Malvado stood up as they neared the table. "Ah, Ms. Fuller. I heard the Gecko brothers kept a young girl as their companion, a little church mouse is what Carlos told me. It is a delightful surprise to find you looking so.......luscious." He held out a hand and she placed her tentative hand in his, trying not to squirm as he kissed the back of it. He released her with a slow, lingering touch. "Mr. Seth Gecko, it is a pleasure to finally meet you."

Seth stepped forward for a very businesslike handshake and smiled sociably. "Yeah well I can't say the same for you, I like your place though. The bartender makes a pretty decent Old Fashioned and, uh, I don't see any bloodsuckin strippers so I guess it's a step up from the Twister."

Malvado chuckled at his brusque manner but his eyes flashed a barely contained rage at Seth. "This is a place of business Mr. Gecko, we collect a different kind of tribute here. Please, sit." Seth pulled a chair out for her and Kate sat, back straight and legs crossed. He pulled another chair around, sitting close enough that their thighs were pressed together then threw an arm over the back of her chair, clutching her shoulder possessively. She could tell he had a problem with the covetous way that Malvado kept running his eyes over her but he kept himself in check. Barely. "I must admit, I was surprised when I got your phone call, though I am disappointed that you didn't bring your brother with you. Where is Richard?"

\--

_Beeep. Beeep. Beeep._

Carlos plugged his ear irritably so he could hear his phone over the noise of the delivery truck as it backed in. The loading dock at Jacknife Jed's was always busy, not the most private place to have a clandestine conversation but it was noisy enough that no one could hear what he was saying. "I told you I wanted him brought to me by _sundown_. Pinche idiota!" He had to ease his grip on his cellphone before he crushed it in his rage.

_"Lo siento hefe, one minute he was here and the next he was gone, he's a slippery bastard. We've got eyes on him now though, he's still heading north on the interstate."_

As he paced the concrete floor a small commotion over by the truck caught his attention. The driver stood with his back to Carlos gesturing emphatically as he argued with Chris, the loading dock manager. _"All right Ray, just let me check with the boss."_ Carlos rolled his eyes in irritation as Chris walked over and stood a short distance away, waiting on him to finish his phone call.

Until his plans came to fruition he needed to keep up appearances and that meant doing all of the boring, day to day shit of running the operation. Malvado's pleasure at having him do this kind of work was twofold, first and foremost it was punishment for letting La Diosa be killed, as if the suffering in his heart wasn't punishment enough. Secondly, he liked to have him do this mundane shit simply because he could, it was a way of keeping Carlos under the heel of his boot. "He must be heading back to Kansas City to hide out. If the Gecko goes to ground there it will be very difficult to find him, he's probably got safe houses all over the place. Don't let him make it past the city limits, grab him the first chance you get. No more failures, comprede?"

_"Si hefe, it will be done."_

Carlos slipped the phone into his pocket and rounded on Chris, keeping a tight reign on his temper he forced his voice to a normal volume instead of raging at the man. "Yes Chris, what is it that you want?"

"Sorry to bother you hefe but this is the second truck from Balthazar this month, I didn't think we had another one scheduled for at least two more weeks." Chris proffered the black ledger he held open in his hands.

"Well did that _pinche guero_ say why Balthazar sent the truck now?" Carlos gestured impatiently toward the truck driver, the goofy looking bastard stood near the rear of the truck checking over the order. The bill of his hat rested on the top edge of the clipboard he had held up in front of his face as he scrutinized the order sheet. His delivery uniform didn't fit him properly and the bottom of his pants stopped short at his ankles like highwaters.

"No senor, he says they don't tell the drivers anything, they just give them the order and send them over."

Carlos sighed impatiently and held out his hand. "Let me see the book." Running a black gloved finger down the columns of numbers he found what he was searching for. "It looks like he was late last month, he's probably just trying to make up for it by sending this one early. That man has more ambition than brains. Get some of the boys to help the guero unload the truck." Chris nodded and spun about, calling the other workers to action as he strode back toward the preoccupied driver.

The click of heels on concrete caught his attention and he turned to see Maia swagger across the loading dock floor. She wore tight leather pants, a low cut shirt and high heeled boots all in black, he had never seen her wear any other color and it suited her perfectly. No one could ever compare to Santanico but Carlos found Maia to be similar to her in many ways. She had the kind of beauty that could make a man's mouth run dry and the way she moved was a mix of graceful sensuality and cocksure toughness. Unlike Santanico, Maia was completely and utterly devoted to him. Though he loved her Carlos didn't share her devotion, it was hard for him to surrender to someone who had given herself so completely to him. The irony of the situation was not lost on him.

Wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled him close for a kiss. Staring into those dark eyes eased the pain of his heartache but it was also a reminder that this was not his great love, his centuries long affair, his Queen. This woman was a salve on a wound that would never heal.

She gave him a sly grin. "Seth Gecko and the Fuller girl are sitting down with Malvado now."

"Good. Find Scott and go with him to the bar, I think it's time for a Fuller family reunion."

\--  
Pain shot through his side as he tried to move. Looking in the rearview mirror Eddie groaned as he counted the men advancing toward his car, five guys and here he was in no condition to run or fight. Well, he had a good run but they had finally caught him. He had almost made it. If they hadn't forced the Volvo off the road just before he got to K.C. he would have been home free, he could have stayed holed up in the city for weeks while they searched away.

Popping open the glove compartment he snatched his revolver and flipped open the cylinder to check the rounds, he knew that it was loaded but it was force of habit. He grinned and shook his head, six wooden bullets filled the chambers, it was certainly odd but Richie had insisted. In his injured state there was no way he could make it to the back to retrieve his shotgun so Eddie cocked the revolver and sat waiting on the men.

He just hoped he had given his boys enough time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can very well see, shit is going down. I would greatly appreciate it if you kept any speculations as to the progression of the story line to yourselves throughout the next few chapters. Like it, love it, hate it, all other comments are welcome but I do not wish to have to moderate the comments, it's too much like censorship to me. Please be respectful of this request.


	27. Carlito is His Junkyard Dog

"WHAT?" Spittle flew from Carlos' lips as he screamed into the phone.

_"It's just the old man, Richard Gecko isn't here sir."_

"You mean to tell me that you've been trailing that car all this time and the man you were supposed to be hunting isn't even in there?!" Carlos despaired as he saw all of his beautiful plans laid to ruin before his eyes. He would be Malvado's slave for the rest of eternity!

_"I don't know how it happened hefe, they must have switched off when we lost him. What do you want us to do with the old man?"_

No, no this was not happening, there still had to be a way! "He knows where Richard is. Make him talk, do whatever it takes and when you're done kill Cruickshank."

_"Understood."_

Richard Gecko was in the wind. What a fucking disaster this was turning out to be. That smug shit brother of his was currently having a sit down with Malvado and Carlos had nothing, no leverage and no one to crack that fucking safe for him. Seth Gecko was here now and his brother was missing.........those fucking sneaky bastards! Carlos spun about in a fiery rage and stalked over to the delivery truck. He looked through the crowd of workers, but he didn't see the man he was searching for. "Chris!"

Chris turned from where he was checking in the truck delivery. "Si senor?"

"Where is that fucking freakishly tall goon who drove this truck here?"

Chris stared at him with a stupid look of confusion on his face and Carlos had to refrain from ripping his heart out right then and there in his fury. "He's been helping the guys unload the truck, they're heading down to the tribute room with a load of cargo now."

Carlos snatched the phone from his pocket and dialed Maia's number.

_"Do you miss me already mi amore? I found Scott, we're headed for the bar now."_

"Change of plans, send Scott to the bar to fetch his sister, I want you downstairs. I have a few things to take care of up here and then I will meet you. Go now, if you hurry you just might catch yourself a Gecko."

\--

Seth took a swig of his drink before setting it down roughly on the table. "How the hell should I know where Richie is? We had a fallin' out and he took off. Gave me a nice little goin' away present though, he's a real stand up guy." Seth waved his damaged hand at Malvado. Kate saw with dismay that blood had begun seeping through the bandage, he should have let her change it before they left but they had been preoccupied with other things.

"Ah yes, I too understand how difficult it is to deal with a sibling when you do not see eye to eye. I have eight brothers and sisters myself, together we rule the culebra world but we do not always share the same vision. That was why we had to split the culebra empire into different territories. It makes for an easier rule, now we only have see each other for special occasions and ceremonies." Kate was surprised to hear the man speak of his siblings, she didn't think culebras shared familial bonds. A familiar face suddenly appeared in the crowded room behind Malvado and she stared in surprise. Scott waved to her, gesturing urgently for her to follow him then turned and made his way up to the bar. She had assumed that he would turn up at Jacknife Jed's sooner or later and she felt a thrill at seeing her brother suddenly so close.

Seth snorted disrespectfully. "So you guys only come home for the holidays, yeah I know some families like that. Listen it's been great talkin' about dysfunctional families and all but-"

Before she even realized what she was doing Kate rose from her seat and took a step toward the bar, her eyes glued to her brother. She felt someone grasp her hand, holding her in place and she blinked, coming back to herself. Both Seth and Malvado looked a question at her. "Oh! I'm sorry, would you mind excusing me for just a moment?" Seth squeezed her hand tightly as he stared up at her, his eyes speaking volumes. The plan was for them to stick together but the need to be with her brother was an undeniable pull. "I see my brother up at the bar and it's been so long since I've gotten to spend time with him. Please, I won't be long."

Malvado's smile was pleasant but he looked at her so possessively that for a moment she wondered if he was going to deny her. "But of course, it's nice to see that some families can still behave in a civilized manner. Wouldn't you agree Mr. Gecko?"

Seth looked torn, he knew that she was desperate to see her brother but he didn't wan't to be separated from her for obvious reasons. He couldn't voice his concerns in front of Malvado so he let her hand go reluctantly. "Yeah, yeah sure. You kids play nice and, uh, don't go wanderin' off." She rolled her eyes at him before turning away to pick her way through the crowd.

Scott shifted in his seat impatiently as he waited on her and his hand kept flying up to touch the hilt of one of the two short swords he had strapped to his back. Kate was surprised to see him carrying the weapons but they seemed to fit him well, like they were a part of him. "Hey Kate, that's an interesting look. Are you, like, the Gecko _sister_ now?" He grinned mischievously at her.

"You're the one who thought it was cool that I was becoming a professional criminal, just playing the part. Do you even know how to use those things?" She smiled back at him and gestured to the swords.

He shrugged nonchalantly. "You'd be surprised, I've picked up a few tricks lately."

"I don't know, I still remember when you broke our old t.v. with a broom trying to copy the moves in some stupid kung fu movie."

"Yeah I remember that. For the record _One-Armed Swordsman_ isn't stupid, it's a classic Kate, and I was only ten when I did that. I can kick some serious ass with a broom now!" They both broke down in laughter but the moment was over too soon. It was nice to think about the good times but it was also a painful reminder that their lives now were a far cry from the normal suburban dream that they had both grown up in.

As their laughter died down she looked at him solemnly. "I can't tell you how happy I am to see you, but I have a feeling this isn't a social call."

Scott's smile fell and his eyes shifted over to where Seth sat with Malvado, he looked uneasy. "Carlos is getting all his guys together, everyone loyal to him, something is going down. I may have sold my soul to the devil but you're still my sister, I'm worried about you. I heard what happened between Seth and his brother, Carlos' guys were supposed to be keeping an eye on Richie but they lost him. Where is he?"

"Are you asking because you want to know or because Carlos does?"

"Listen Kate, we were all supposed to be waiting on the Gecko brothers to do their job before Carlos made his move but something has him all riled up. I think he's going to make his move without them but I don't see how. I was walking in here with Maia when she got a call from Carlos, I don't know what he said but she practically ran to the elevator to get downstairs. What are you guys up to?"

Kate's ears began ringing and she felt as if the floor had just fallen away beneath her feet. Carlos knew. He knew where Richie was. "Scott, I need you to take me down to the bottom floor!"

"And why should I do that Kate?"

"Because you're my brother, you keep saying that you want to help me so then help me. Richie's down there right now and if Carlos has figured that out then I can't leave him all alone to be trapped."

Scott shook his head disparagingly. "I said I wanted to keep you safe, not take you straight into the snake pit!"

"I'll go by myself if I have to but I could really use your help. Please Scott, it has to be now, while Malvado is busy with Seth!" She wasn't going to back down and she gave him the best, no nonsense, big sister look she could muster.

\--  


What was Kate thinking? Now was not the time to be going off plan! Seth was furious but he lounged in his seat, projecting a cool demeanor as he seethed inside. "Alright, as much fun as this little chat has been, you didn't send an army of goons to try and grab us back at that motel just to talk about how fucked up our families are. Why did you try to kidnap us?"

"So now we come to it." Malvado leaned forward in his seat and lowered his voice in a conspiratorial manner. "I know that Carlos paid you a visit, him and that crazy bitch girlfriend of his. You see, Carlito is my junkyard dog, he never does anything without my permission but it seems that lately his collar has begun to chafe. He went behind my back when he hired you and your brother to rob that bank in Abiline. I was surprised he had the balls to do it, but then he would do anythiyng for his _Diosa_. After you killed Santanico I had thought that he was going to hunt you down and take his revenge but instead he pays you a visit and you walk away unscathed. I want to know what he is up to."

Seth glanced back over his shoulder, Kate sat side by side with her brother up at the bar, they were laughing about something. It was actually kind of sweet to see her beaming at her brother so happily, she still loved him after everything he had done. He got it, he would forgive Richie anything. Turning back to Malvado Seth decided to just go for it, they would be done here soon enough and he didn't care if the culebra crime lord and Carlos tore each other to pieces. "Well, your little junkyard dog ain't just chafin' at his collar, he's foamin' at the mouth. That's why I'm here now to warn you, Carlito wants you dead. He hasn't killed us yet because he wants us to be the ones to waste you." The bodyguards to either side of the table tensed and made a move to grab him but Malvado held up his hand and they stood back at their posts.

Seth held his breath as he sat there waiting for Malvado's enraged outburst. He was shocked when the man sitting across from him began shaking with laughter. "He thinks that just because los hermanos Gecko killed La Diosa that you could kill _me? One of the Nine Lords!?_ " He threw his head back and the sound of his scornful laughter rang out over the noise in the bar. "Oh Carlito could not possibly be so stupid as to cross me like this!"

Seth took another quick look over his shoulder, Scott was arguing with Kate about something. "Yeah well, even the most faithful guys on your crew can turn and double cross you if they think that the payday is good enough."

Malvado wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and breathed deep to calm his hysterical laughter. "No Mr. Gecko, there is no possible way he would take such a risk. You see, after he went behind my back and plotted with Santanico against me I took certain _measures_ to ensure his loyalty." Seth listened with half an ear and he cocked his head back again to check on Kate. All the breath left his body as he stared in shock, Kate was gone and so was her brother. He leapt from his seat in such a panic that the chair tumbled to the floor. The two burly men guarding Malvado didn't appreciate the outburst, they each grabbed his arms and this time Malvado let them.

He struggled violently against his captors, but his attempts to break free were in vain as they held him in their iron grip. "Kate! She's gone! You gotta let me go find her, _please!_ If Carlos gets his hands on her he'll _kill her!_ " If Seth could have gone down on his knees to beg he would have. Malvado stared back at him with a smug expression, he was certainly enjoying this.

"Ah yes, I almost forgot. Scott came to me before we had this little meeting and asked if he could have the girl, he wants to turn her so that they can be a true family again. Now that I hear of Carlos' betrayal I wonder if maybe he had Scott take her so that he could punish you. It does not matter now, I think I will make Kate my own, she is quite enticing." He snapped his fingers and that damned old cowboy came to stand before him. "Find the Fullers, kill Scott and bring his sister to my office. I want this one to watch while I turn her."

"Yessir, it will be done." The old man tipped his hat respectfully before loping away through the crowded bar.

Seth tried again to pull free from the men holding him but it was a futile effort. "I told you what you wanted to know, why are you doing this? It's Carlos that's your enemy, not us!"

Malvado rose from his seat and came to stand directly before him, his face was so close Seth could see his reflection in those black, depthless eyes. "Yes, thank you for warning me about him, but there is still the matter of Santanico. Though you may have done me a favor by killing the treacherous bitch she was my property, she brought in blood and souls by the thousands. I rule my territory with an iron fist and I cannot allow a man who is responsible for the destruction of my property go free. It would give people the wrong impression." He spun about and gestured to his bodyguards. "Bring him, he will be Kate's first meal once she is turned."

Seth struggled as the men dragged him through the bar behind Malvado, the man's hateful laughter rang loud in his ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I would respectfully implore you _not_ to share your speculations as to the progression of the storyline.  
>  All other comments are welcome.


	28. The Tragic Ballad of Richard Gecko

Richie kept his head down and kept hauling crates, he didn't look up until he was on the elevator, heading down to the sixth floor where the tribute was kept. Taking a deep breath he sighed with relief and slid his clipboard into the computer bag he was carrying. There was no computer inside the bag but he did have a stash of wooden stakes, a couple of guns and a stethoscope. He hadn't expected Carlos to be skulking around the loading dock at Jacknife Jed's. _Didn't the man have more pressing matters to deal with than overseeing deliveries?_

He should be exhausted but he was too pumped up with adrenaline to let a little thing like sleep deprivation slow him down. With a couple of phone calls Uncle Eddie had come through with a contact for this job, not on the inside but close enough. After Richie had picked that fight with Seth at the bar he had ridden off in the Volvo with Eddie laying low in the backseat. He tore off up the interstate, letting the culebras tailing him get close but not close enough to catch. After making an obvious beeline north he lost the tail, said a quick goodbye to Eddie and made his way to the contact while Eddie continued the chase with the culebras. He hoped the old man would come out alright, with any luck he'd run all the way up to K.C. and have them tearing their hair out trying to search the city. With a fat roll of cash and Uncle Eddie's reference he had soon found himself driving a delivery truck right into enemy territory while they were looking for him in the opposite direction. Richie chuckled to himself, he loved a good old fashioned bait and switch.

His eyes drifted upward, staring toward where the bar should be upstairs. Kate was up there, and so was Seth. He longed to be done with this job so he could be reunited with them.

The two men riding the elevator with him basically ignored him, they were irritated that he had showed up with this untimely delivery, creating unexpected extra work for them. The elevator slowed to a stop and the door opened out into a vast chamber, Richie couldn't help but gape. Though he had seen it in the blueprints he wasn't prepared for how staggeringly large the room was, as big as a warehouse and filled with rows and stacks of various types of tribute. His breath caught in his throat as he spied a huge pallet stacked with cash, it was wrapped in plastic and the light from the ceiling glinted off it enticingly. _There has to be millions in that stack!_ Malvado collected all of this and distributed it to various culebra lords, even if he took just a tenth of a percent as his cut the man would be rich. Richie was sure his cut was much more than that and his mouth watered as he thought about the safe on the eighth level, what could the man who had all of this possibly need to keep locked up? The operation Malvado had built was truly awe inspiring, he had vision, this was big picture shit.

He grabbed a dolly and slid it beneath a crate, hauling it from the elevator and the two men with him did the same. "Listen guys, I'm kinda on a schedule here, so once this shit is off the elevator I've gotta go. You're going to have to put it away yourselves."

Both of the men gave him a surly look, one of them spat on the floor right next to his foot and grumbled under his breath. _"Pinche puta."_ They left it at that though and turned back to their work, they were probably used to this sort of thing anyway. They made quick work of it and soon all of the crates were in a neat row on the tribute room floor. Richie waited until the two men began hauling the crates further into the room before stepping back into the elevator. Neither of them looked back, which was good for them because if they had seen that the elevator was going down instead of up he had a hand tucked beneath his delivery uniform and a wooden stake for each of them.

As he was lowered slowly to the eighth level his eyes drifted upward again. He felt the pull toward his brother intensely, he ached to hug him close and tell him that he was sorry, Richie never should have let things get so out of hand. They had needed the fight to look realistic so Seth had started the argument with something he knew was sure to piss Richie off, but it was too much. When his big brother had told him he had lost his touch what he heard in the underlying tone was that he had lost his mind. He knew that Seth was thinking it, that little seed of doubt was always there and every once in a while it wormed it's way to the surface. Then Richie had to go and prove him right by trying to kill him. Well, now was not the time to lament over such things, he needed to focus. There would be plenty of time for apologies later.

This time when the doors to the elevator opened he was left looking down a long, dimly lit hallway. All the floors that he had seen above had the semblance of a more modern building but here on the eighth level the truth of the place was revealed. This was an ancient temple, he could feel the weight of thousands of years heavy in the air. He stepped out into the hallway and quickly stripped the delivery uniform off, stashing it in the computer bag before continuing on. Richie hoped that he wouldn't have any run ins but if he did it would be better to have a semblance of authority about him than to be a delivery driver wandering around in places that he shouldn't be.

As he ghosted down the hallway Richie began to feel someone watching him and he paused to peer back over his shoulder. Empty hall.......not even the whisper of a footfall. He continued on as quickly as he dared. Richie didn't scare easily, a lifetime of visions had numbed him from fear, but the further in he went the stronger the sensation became that someone was watching him. Realizing that he was walking with his shoulders hunched over protectively he shook his head and straightened his posture, now was not the time to start loosing it.

_"Riiichaaard"_

He spun about, looking for the person that had whispered his name but he was completely alone. _Get it together Richie!_ He chided himself for jumping at shadows. Sure he must be getting close he continued on down the hallway in and arrogant swagger, Richard Gecko wouldn't be caught scurrying around, even by the voices in his head.

_"Something is coming Richard."_

Richie peered back over his shoulder but continued walking, he recognized the voice that was speaking to him but he wasn't sure how it was possible. The shade of Santanico Pandemonium still haunted him but since her death she had been unable to speak. The thing that disturbed him the most was that the voice wasn't in his head like it had been before, it seemed to be coming from somewhere just out of sight. He came to a place where the hallway split off in two directions, the room with the safe was to the right but out of the corner of his eye he caught movement down the hall to his left. He spun about to face that way and caught a glimpse of black hair as it swept around the corner and out of sight. "I know that you're trying to mess with me and it's not going to work. I'm too busy to play your games _Diosa."_ A devious sort of hissing laughter seemed to whisper down the hall. Forcing himself to turn down the opposite way he silently berated himself for even talking to her. If she had some sort of power in this place, even in death, then he needed to be about finishing up his business as quickly as he could.

Two massive stone doors stood open at the end of the hallway leading to Malvado's chamber. The walls of the room were smooth, dark gray stone with friezes of snakes and depictions of ancient Mayan gods set in a much lighter stone. There were alcoves with giant vessels filled with burning oil spread throughout the chamber and the snakes carved into the walls seemed to writhe in the ever shifting light. A desk sat at the far end of the room, it was a massive affair made of dark wood, and a high backed, red leather chair sat behind it like a throne. It was odd to see something so normal and relatively modern in this ancient chamber.

There, set into the wall behind the desk, was the safe. Richie knelt on the floor and sized it up. There was no stamp or any engraving of any kind to give him a clue as to who made this safe, just the handle and a dial that ranged from zero to ninety-nine. The first thing he needed to do was figure out how many numbers made up the combination. He set his bag on the floor, retrieved his stethoscope and got down to business. Keeping a careful eye on the dial he listened for the tell tale click-click that denoted another number in the combo, he ended up with six numbers all together. Ray Gecko was notorious for cracking a six tumbler lock in less than fifteen minutes. Richie was sure he could do better than that. He reset the dial and concentrated as he twisted it back and forth, listening carefully as he sussed out each number in the combination. Sweat rolled down his brow as the minutes ticked by and he began to get frustrated with his slow going but then he heard the last tumbler click and the fence fell into place. It had taken him less than ten minutes, he grinned triumphantly and laughed. "Ray Gecko your name is mud! _Richard Gecko_ is the greatest boxman there ever was!" He almost thought he could hear a low, mournful howl and the satisfying image of his father writhing in pain as the flesh burned from his body suddenly popped into his head.

He pulled the safe open and the smile slid from his face as he spied the contents. A great, hulking urn took up the entire space. Hefting the urn out he peered back into the safe to see if he had missed anything but all he saw was bare metal walls. Richie set the urn on the floor to inspect it, it was made of dark stone and had carvings and runes running in concentric circles from top to bottom. He tried to pry the lid off but it held fast, pulling out his knife he tried to slide the tip beneath the edge and pried at it again but it was no use. There was a deep impression on top of the lid, it was circular with small points sticking out around it at regular intervals, this urn needed some sort of key.

........ _The key!_

According to the slip of paper that Scott had dropped in their motel room the key would, presumably, be found down a staircase at the opposite end of the hallway from Malvado's chamber. Down the hallway where he was dead certain that Santanico Pandemonium waited for him. He should run as fast as he could, find Kate and Seth and get the hell out. But he knew when he stood from the floor that was not what he was going to do.

Folding the map carefully he tucked it inside his suit jacket, when he turned to the door his heart jumped out of his chest and he fell backward against the wall in shock. Standing there was the ghost of another woman he had murdered, the poor teller that he had kidnapped during the bank heist in Abilene. He had been too weak to resist Santanico's urging and so he had killed the woman and cut out her eyes, it was one of the very few murders he actually regretted. This woman understood him, she had seen into his tortured soul and even comforted him when he became fearful of the intensity of his visions. Now she stood there silently staring at him with her gaping, empty sockets.

Richie quickly composed himself. Irritated that she had caught him off guard he made a show of fixing his glasses and adjusting his tie, taking his time to show her that he really couldn't care less that she had appeared to him. "What are you doing here, _Little Gordita?"_ He called her by the intimate nickname her husband had used for her when she had been alive, hoping that it rattled the woman in some way. She disappeared from the doorway and in a flash she was suddenly standing right before him. He could see all of the grisly little bits hanging down in her eyeless sockets and fresh blood seeped endlessly from her wounds, trailing down her cheeks in a flood. Richie forced himself not to flinch away from her accusing stare. She held out her hand in a halting gesture and shook her head. He laughed cruelly, "You think you're going to stop me from getting my score? You are just as helpless now as you were then. You're lucky you can't die twice." Richie took out his knife and flipped it open. He knew he shouldn't mock her spirit, especially when she was so undeserving of it, but he wanted that score and he was furious at her for trying to stop him. Richie stepped toward her menacingly but she stood planted in front of him with her hand up, as if she could hold him here. _You have no power over me, not even in this place._ Brashness got the better of him and Richie walked right through her, he was surprised that he felt absolutely nothing as she dissolved into mist around him.

The hallway was quiet and deserted, his footsteps sounded too loud as they echoed off the walls. Richie was completely alone but as he neared the far end of the passage the feeling of eyes on him was so palpable it made his skin crawl. A yawning, pitch black space sat at the end of the hallway, here was the stairway to the ninth level. He looked about for some sort of torch or lantern, something to light his way but there was nothing. Sighing he fished his lighter out of his pocket. He tried to shift the urn beneath his arm so that he could grasp a wooden stake and hold his lighter at the same time but the damn thing was too heavy, so he settled for holding the stake in the same hand with the lighter and tried not to set the damn thing on fire.

Cold seeped from the stone staircase into his bones and Richie shivered as he descended into the darkness below, the feeble glow of his lighter leading the way. The feeling of being watched grew the further down he went and his skin tried to creep right off his bones, he could sense the unseen watcher's malicious intent waiting in the pitch blackness. Finally he came to the bottom of the steps, setting the urn on the floor Richie clutched his knife with his free hand. He extended his arm out in front of him, sweeping his light as far as it would go and he caught sight of something in what was probably the center of the room. As he came closer Richie saw that it was an altar. A stone carving stood atop the altar, it was none other than La Diosa herself.

The likeness to Santanico was uncanny and he swept his lighter across the life-size statue, marveling at the detail. She wore a great feathered headdress, the down of the feathers looked soft and delicate, like they would sway with the slightest whisper of a breeze. Her hair flowed down in alabaster locks beneath her headdress, framing her beautiful face. She held her arms out to either side, with her palms open toward the cold stone ceiling. An alabaster snake wound around her outstretched arms, it had two heads, each resting in her upright palms. The sculptor had taken great pains to etch in each and every scale on the serpent. Santanico's expression was severe and foreboding, it seemed to Richie that she was frowning down at him, passing her judgement from high atop the altar. The flickering glow from his lighter shifted constantly and the movement of shadows seemed to breathe life into her stone facade.

His light glinted off of something, a golden chain hung around her neck and there, resting between her breasts was a medallion. It was circular in shape with an angry, grimacing face engraved in the middle and extending out all around that face were snakes, the tips of their tails jutted out from the edge of the medallion at regular intervals. Richie grasped Santanico's cold stone hand and irreverently hoisted himself up onto the altar to retrieve the key. Reaching around to pull the chain from her neck he realized that he was holding his breath and forced himself to exhale, it came out as nervous laughter, reverberating loudly against the stone walls. Once he had the medallion safely in his pocket he stood for a moment, gazing upon Santanico's beautiful face. Even pressed up close against her as he was the statue still seemed so lifelike, Richie reached out a tentative finger and ran it along her lush lips, he didn't know why he was surprised to find them cold and unyielding beneath his touch.

_"Something is coming Richard."_

The whisper was so unexpected in the quiet chamber that Richie jumped, his hands flailed, grabbing at the statue and he caught himself just before he went tumbling to the floor. In his wild scrabbling he lost his lighter, it dropped to the floor with a little _clink_ and he was left in complete darkness. He climbed down from the altar as quickly as he dared and spun about, arms outstretched he made his way back toward the staircase.

_"Something is coming Richard and no one can protect you now._

The brush of lips against his ear sent Richie's heart racing. He grasped his knife and struck out blindly in the pitch blackness, the blade swept through the air, meeting no resistance. He bent down, groping for the stone urn in the dark and snatched it up quickly. Tucking the urn beneath his arm he kept his knife bared before him as he felt his way to the staircase.

"I've been waiting for you Richard Gecko." Yellow eyes glowed in the darkness right in front of him. The stone urn fell to the floor with a crash that reverberated throughout the tiny chamber. Richie slashed out with his blade but he was too slow, the eyes pitched forward and there was intense, stabbing pain as fangs found his neck.

"Santanico.......you bitch....why couldn't you......just.......stay..........dead." He gasped around the blood welling up in his lungs and he felt vibrations go through him as she laughed against his throat.

As his lifeblood was drained Richie felt the cold stone of the room seeping into him, it was so intense that violent shivers wracked his whole body. Soon his mind began drifting....... _I'll never know Kate's burning love again..........never be able to apologize...................Seth...._ He could hear that cruel, devious laughter from before hissing in his ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now everybody be cool. You...be cool.  
> Lament, rage, and rail at me if you must but please no speculations as to where this is going.  
> 


	29. Straight Into the Snake Pit

The elevator was too close. Though he had fed earlier there was something about Kate's blood, he could hear it singing in her veins, calling to him. Scott tried to shift away from his sister without her noticing but his foot scuffed the floor and she looked over at him. For a moment he panicked, thinking she could tell what was in his mind but she just smiled at him sweetly. Kate was thrilled that they were spending time together, even as they descended into the bottom of an ancient, treacherous, culebra stronghold. "Thank you for coming with me Scott, you're a good brother." Guilt and shame washed through him. He really wasn't.

The ride to the bottom floor was agonizingly slow and he sighed in relief when the elevator doors finally opened. His relief was short lived as they stood peering out into a long, dimly lit hallway. Scott avoided coming to this floor as much as he could, it made him uneasy. He had been to Malvado's chamber on a few occasions though and he led the way, motioning Kate to follow him and placing a finger to his lips, they needed to go quietly. Squaring her shoulders, she took a deep breath to steel herself before stepping out into the dingy hallway.

As they made their way side by side Kate's high heels clicked loudly against the stone tiles of the floor, echoing down the hall. He looked at her exasperatedly and she blushed. "Sorry! The plan was for us to grab Malvado's attention, I wasn't counting on having to be stealthy." Unbuckling the ankle straps she slipped her heels off and held them in one hand. As they crept down the corridor Kate began inching closer to him, he could tell she was just as uneasy as he was and when she wrapped her arm about his, gripping his bicep tightly with her hand he didn't say anything. Though he would never admit to it her touch was comforting in this dark place and he felt his nerves ease a bit.

Back in another lifetime Scott and his sister would walk to church together most Sunday mornings. Being a pastor their father liked to get to the church a few hours early to prepare for his sermon and spend some time in quiet contemplation, when their mother was alive she usually went with him so they could spend those quiet moments together. Once Kate became a teenager getting up before the sun on a weekend was out of the question so she came up with the idea, the kids could stay in bed but they would have to walk to church. Those quiet, peaceful mornings were really the only time they got along. Perhaps it was because their parents weren't around to watch, or maybe it was because they both knew they were stuck together for the twenty minute walk and there was no reason to make it unpleasant. Sometimes, when Scott was feeling particularly brotherly, he would offer Kate his arm as they strolled down the sidewalk and they would chat. The last time that they took that walk was right before Jacob Fuller abandoned his flock and dragged his kids away on their nightmarish Mexican vacation. Thinking that this was just a temporary holiday he and his sister had been speculating on where they were going. Scott had put in his vote for a theme park, something with thrilling rides and all the junk food a growing teenage boy could stuff his face with. Kate was hoping for the beach, she had actually mentioned Cancun with a wistful look in her eye, not that Scott would ever remind her that she had been the one who had wanted to go to Mexico. Looking at his sister with a sidelong glance he thought about how she had been dressed then, a button up cardigan over her best, floral print Sunday dress and girlish kitten heels. He chuckled to himself as he thought about the new, badass Kate walking through those church doors for Sunday service, half the congregation would likely die of shock upon seeing the preacher's daughter in such scandalous attire.

Kate's blood smelled like honeysuckle and sunshine. Though he savored her closeness the scent was nearly irresistible and Scott felt his fangs twitch against the roof of his mouth, begging for her blood. Loving fondness warred with the disgusting wrench of guilty hunger within him, it was a precarious balance, enjoying her presence but not loosing himself in it.

They hadn't encountered a single living soul as they made there way to Malvado's chamber, but that wasn't unusual. Scott knew he wasn't the only person that loathed coming down to this floor. The culebras that worked for Malvado upstairs would gather in corners and whisper of bizarre sounds and unexplainable occurrences in these hallways, their eyes wide with fear as they spoke of the strange power this place possessed. For a bunch of supposed badasses culebras could be a superstitious lot. Malvado was the only culebra that wasn't disturbed by the apparent supernatural presence, in fact he reveled in it. Scott suspected that he had made his office down here because of the fear this place induced.

As they got closer to Malvado's chamber Scott could feel Kate's apprehension grow, she looked about uneasily, even glancing back over her shoulder a few times. She could feel it too, the unseen watcher. Scott would never understand how she had come to love the Gecko brothers but she had told him that their fates were tied, so now here they were. He admired her courage, this young girl trekked willingly into the heart enemy territory, walking halls that culebras who were hundreds or even thousands of years old were loathe to step foot in. All for the love of a terrible man.

They came to the end of the corridor and it split off in two directions, to the right was Malvado's chamber. "Malvado's office is this way, that's where he keeps his safe and that's where we'll find Richie." He turned down the right hallway but Kate's hand on his arm halted him.

"Wait, what about the key?"

"What?"

"The key in the sketch that you left for us in our motel room! It's down that way, isn't it?"

Scott still didn't know why he had let on about the key. Maybe it was because he wanted Richie to get a look inside that urn, even hoped he could get to see the look of disappointment on the man's face when he realized that the treasure inside was completely invaluable to him. Perhaps it was because he was tired of playing Carlos' sick games, one minute he would tell Scott his sister was safe and with his very next breath he threatened her. The man had no regard for anyone's life, not since Santanico died.

He peered down the passage to the left and shuddered, that way La Diosa's shrine awaited. "Alright, we'll check the office first, then look down the other way."

"Why don't we just split up? It will be quicker that way. I'll check the key room and you check the office, we can meet up back here."

Scott gaped at his sister. She was feeling the unrest in this place, he knew she could by the way her eyes shifted nervously, constantly checking the hallway around them. But Kate was willing to split up and take the direction that was emanating a palpable malignant aura.

He sighed and released her hand, it was time for him to decide, in more ways than one. "I'll check the room with the key. Richie is probably in Malvado's office and if we're going to split up it would be better for you to be the one to find him."

Kate frowned and considered for a moment. "You're probably right. Okay." He turned away but she caught his arm, pulling him in for an embrace then went up on tiptoe and brushed a kiss across his cheek. When she pulled back Scott was held captive by the intensity of her green eyed gaze. "Be careful Scott. If you get into any trouble just yell and I'll come running." His mouth worked but no words came out, he was so astounded by his sister at that moment. She smiled and squeezed his shoulders before slipping away.

They split off, each going their own way but Scott paused, turning about he called to her softly down the hallway. "Hey, Kate." She turned around, staring a question at him. "You should take one of my swords for protection." A warm smile spread across her face and she waved him off.

"I wouldn't know the first thing about using a sword and I don't need it anyway. I've picked up a few tricks of my own, you'd be surprised." With a grin and a wink she was strolling down the hallway.

Turning back the other way Scott took a deep, steadying breath and forced himself to take that first step toward the shrine of Santanico Pandemonium. The story that he had been told was that the shrine had once been a place of worship for some ancient underworld goddess but after Santanico's death Malvado had pulled down the statue of the underworld goddess and erected a new one upon her altar. Now the shrine was a place where Malvado made his personal offerings to La Diosa, Carlos said it was because he wanted to possess her even in death. Carlos was strictly forbidden from ever stepping foot inside the shrine, whether it was punishment for failing to keep her safe or because Malvado was a covetous man he wasn't sure. It was probably for both of those reasons. Once, when Malvado had been away, Carlos brought Scott down here. They dragged a strung out vagabond kicking and screaming through the hallways and then Carlos had Scott keep watch so that he could make his offering to his Diosa. That had been the longest hour of his life. He had stood there jumping out of his skin as the feeling that he was being watched slowly grew, turning into a maddening paranoia. When Carlos had finally emerged from the shrine his face was streaked with bloody tears and Scott could see the wild shine of rapture in his dark eyes.

That familiar creeping feeling began to set in the closer he came to the doorway. Staring into the black abyss he drew his swords, though if Santanico's spirit truly dwelled here he didn't know what good swords would do against her. Fangs distended from the roof of his mouth and he felt his skin shift into scales, the colors in the hallway dimmed as his eyes transformed, then he slowly began his descent. He couldn't see in the pitch blackness in the normal sense of the word but there were definite advantages to having culebra senses. His hearing was amplified tenfold and the reverberations of his footsteps on the stairs bounced back to him, forming a picture of his surroundings in his mind. It was cold in the passageway, not dangerously so, but being a cold blooded creature it did cause him some discomfort. As Scott neared the bottom of the stairs his viperine heat pits detected a faint, flickering infrared form lying on the floor, it was a body, quickly cooling in the chill of the stone chamber. There was someone else in the room too, someone that he couldn't detect by body heat.

Scott very nearly turned around and tore back up the stairs but his forked tongue darted out of his mouth, testing the air, he could smell the other person and it wasn't a ghost. It was a scent he was quite familiar with. "Carlos is getting all his guys ready to make his move and you're down here stuffing your face Maia?" He sensed, rather than saw her lift her head.

"Well if it isn't baby boy Fuller, what are you doing down here? Aren't you supposed to be turning your sister?" She rose from the floor as he stepped from the bottom stair. Scott tested the air again with his forked tongue and he caught another scent, one that confirmed his suspicion, the body on the floor was Richie's.

"Kate gave me the slip, I thought I heard her come this way. You know Carlos wanted to kill the Gecko brothers himself, he's going to be pissed that you took out Richie, Santanico really had a thing for him."

Maia chuckled smugly. "Oh, Carlos won't stay mad at me for long, not when he sees what I've brought him. This little shit," Scott heard a thud as Maia kicked Richie's prostrate body, "cracked the safe! I will be the one to hand Carlos the key _and his 'iik_." She bent down and he heard the clink of metal as she rummaged through Richie's pocket. "I'm done here. Grab the urn and let's go find big sis, you'll have to share since you let her get away."

It was now or never. Without warning Scott lunged at Maia, swords extended before him. _"Fuck!"_ She had quick reflexes and his swords swished through empty air where her head had been a moment before.

"You traitorous little shit! What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Scott sensed her coming toward him, he sidestepped a kick and countered with another swordstroke. Maia cried out as the blade connected but it wasn't enough, he had just scored her leg. They squared off against each other, trading feints and testing for openings in the crowded space. Scott might have swords and a pretty impressive set of martial arts skills but she had experience, hundreds of years of it. Maia was a trained warrior and he knew that she could kill him with her bare hands.

"I'm doing what I should have been doing this whole time, protecting my sister. I won't let you or Carlos get your fangs into Kate." He feinted to her right and when she made a move to defend he slashed at her left side. She must have known what he was doing because she suddenly twisted and made a grab for him. Pain shot along his arm as Maia wrenched his wrist, forcing him to drop his sword, the metal clanged loudly against the floor.

"Carlos was going to let you turn her so you could be together, wouldn't it be better that way?" Scott heard a loud snap as he yanked his arm free of her grip, he tucked the tender limb against his side as it healed.

"I can't change her, she couldn't live this way."

"Well then I guess _I_ will be the one to turn her, right after I finish you off." Maia kicked out at his left side, where he held his injured arm. There was a painful crack and he hunched over his broken ribs. Backing off a bit, he tried to put some space between them to give himself time to heal but she stepped forward with each step he took back. Not wanting to be cornered he moved sideways and tried to keep Santanico's altar between them. His arm was already functional and he could feel the bones in his ribs mending together. Scott heard the sound of metal scraping against stone and he cursed silently as he realized that Maia was now armed.

"Maybe you're right. Though I would enjoy her greatly I don't see your sister taking to this life very well." She chuckled maliciously as she taunted him. "Perhaps it would be more humane to just kill her off. You know, Carlos is quite skilled at feeding, he can keep a person alive for weeks while he drains them slowly. Imagine all the fun we could have with her then." Furious anger welled up in him. Scott took a running start and leapt over the altar, he ducked his head as he sailed beneath Santanico's arm, her stone knuckle swept through his hair. He swung out wildly as he landed and Maia had just a moment to process what was happening, she threw up her sword quickly to deflect his strike but it threw her off balance. Pressing forward his blade flicked in and out fiercely, searching for an opening and Maia stepped back, slowly giving ground.

Scott fought furiously but as Maia gathered herself she began to strike back at him. The air hummed and the clash of metal against metal rang out as they traded strokes. He held her off but Scott was beginning to tire and he could tell by the steady rhythm of her breathing, barely perceptible beneath the sound of their swords, that Maia was not weary in the least. She seemed to be able to anticipate his every move and soon he found himself too busy deflecting her sword to counter with any attacks of his own. Maia swung high and when he raised his blade to block a headstroke she suddenly thrust downward. Scott had to jump sideways to avoid having his heart run through, and cried out in pain as he took the blade in his side. Using the opening she swung again, this time when Scott lunged backward to dodge her sword his foot caught on something and he flailed out as he fell backward over Richie's body. _Fuck! Leave it to Richard Gecko to get the best of me one last time!_ The impact against the stone floor knocked the sword from his hand and it clattered loudly on the stone as it went careening out of his reach. Maia was there in an instant, leaping over Richie's body, sword at the ready. As he scrambled back from her Scott's hand landed on something lying on the cold stone floor and his fingers wrapped around the bone handle of Richie's lucky blade. "Carlos is going to be so pleased when I return to him bearing all these gifts! I think your sister might just be his new favorite plaything." She pressed her sword against his neck and leaned in so her face was inches from his own. "You know, you were kind of like the little brother that I never wanted, I might actually miss you."

"Yeah bitch? Well I won't miss you." Scott brought his hand up in a flash and buried Richie's knife to the hilt in her chest. His eyes flinched at the sudden brightness as Maia began to burn up and disintegrate. In the glow of her fiery inferno Scott could see shock and sheer terror alight in her eyes before they too burned to ash.

Rising shakily from the floor he hefted the knife in his hand. "Well I guess this really is a lucky blade after all!" Thrilled to be alive he laughed hysterically and pocketed the knife but when his attention fell to Richie the laughter died in his throat. The faint glimmer of heat Scott had sensed upon entering the shrine was almost completely dissipated as his body cooled on the cold stone floor. He certainly wasn't going to waste a moment lamenting over the late Gecko but he was loath to tell his sister the news.

After a quick search of the small chamber he found the stone urn, then he pulled the key from Maia's ashes and, after dusting it off, he hastily shoved it in his pocket. Now he just had to meet up with Kate and they could get the fuck out of this creepy place.

Kate.......She was going to be devastated. How could he tell her that the man she loved, well, _one_ of the men she loved had died and that _this_ was his final resting place? Sighing he set the urn down and knelt on the floor beside Richie's body. With superhuman strength hauling the dead weight up onto his shoulders was easy, if a bit awkward as the man was a full foot taller than him. As he held him steady, considering how he was going to carry the urn and Richie up the stairs his heightened culebra hearing caught an unexpected sound.

 _No!........No. There is no fucking way. This has to be some sort of cosmic joke!_ With Richie pressed close to his ear Scott could hear a tiny, feeble heartbeat. He lowered the loathsome man to the floor and sat for a moment, contemplating. White hot anger boiled in his gut and he punched Richie's lifeless body. "YOU AND YOUR ASSHOLE BROTHER RUINED MY LIFE!" His scream echoed loudly in the chamber. Scott wanted his family back, he longed to be reunited with Kate, but there was no way he could ever look his sister in the eye again if he let the man she loved die. "SHIT!.........SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! Goddamn you Richard Gecko, goddamn you for making me do this."

Thick, bloody tears fell from his eyes and Scott howled furiously as he sunk his teeth into Richie's neck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know I'm not the master of suspense but I hope I've at least made this fun and interesting for you.


	30. Snakes, Souls, and Six-Guns

Kate stared in awe at the massive stone chamber that was Malvado's office, it was more of an archaeological discovery than a place of business. As she slowly made her way through the room she ran her fingers along the ancient Mayan carvings engraved into the walls. Snakes, people consuming snakes, snakes consuming people, and one depiction of a snake entering a woman in such a way that made Kate squirm squeamishly and quickly avert her eyes.

There was a massive desk at the far end of the room and tucked behind it, set into the wall, was the safe. Hollow disappointment wrenched her gut, no Richie here. A quick study of the safe revealed no clues, it sat closed and there was no indication that it had been tampered with, for all she knew it had never been opened at all. She decided to meet up with Scott at the other end of the hallway, with Carlos rallying his crew upstairs and Maia on the loose somewhere down here there was no time to lose. Kate spun about to make her way to the door but stopped in her tracks, staring.

"Well hey there darlin', fancy meetin' you here." The old cowboy culebra loomed in the doorway, grinning like a cat that had just caught a mouse. "Malvado sent me to fetch you to his office and here you are, doin' my job for me. Where's that baby brother of yours?"

"I don't know, it's a pretty big place, lot's of rooms and hallways to get lost in." Kate sauntered over to stand behind the desk, lounging against it in a seemingly casual manner though really she was just trying to support her shaking legs. Facing the man down in a crowded room with Seth by her side was one thing, being trapped alone with him in an ominous chamber sent her fear racing into overdrive. Her jaw ached as the unbidden memory of the old man's fingers digging into her face came to mind.

He chuckled and loped forward slowly, taking his time as her fear grew stronger. "Well I suppose it don't matter anyhow, Malvado's on his way down here with that Gecko boy, y'all are gonna have a little dinner party!" Kate felt her middle go hollow, in her eagerness to come to Richie's rescue she had left Seth alone and unarmed. Things were starting to go sideways fast, her only hope of getting Seth back was to find Richie but she was stuck here with this hateful old cowboy and Malvado could be walking through that door at any second!

Kate forced her mind to stop racing, and concentrated on taking deep, even breaths. _Okay. What would the Gecko brothers do?_ Well, they certainly wouldn't take this guy's crap, he obviously enjoyed intimidating her and it was really starting to piss her off. It was a one on one fight now but pretty soon the old cowboy would have company and she didn't think Seth would be in any position to fight. The old man had two six-shooters belted at his hip, what respectable cowboy wouldn't? Kate knew she couldn't risk getting into a gunfight with this man, with only five wooden rounds and her limited experience she would most certainly lose. She wasn't trapped, she could get out of this situation.

Kate set her shoes on the desk, leaning forward so the cowboy could get a look at her goods. "So your boss is on his way down here right now to have a dinner party. Are you invited too? Malvado doesn't seem like the type to share." She kept her tone conversational as she watched the old man advance, he licked his lips hungrily as he studied her.

"Nah, I'm gonna have to go huntin' down your brother, he's a loose end that needs tyin' up. Figured I'd just get me a little nip before the boss gets here." He grinned wolfishly. "I like that look on you, never woulda pegged you for a red lace kinda gal." His sentence was punctuated by the slap of his palms against the desktop and he leaned in so that his eyes were inches from her own.

"Oh yeah, Richie picked it out." She blushed and smiled coyly. "There's matching panties too." Biting her lip Kate arched an eyebrow at him as she slid a hand up her skirt. A look of confusion flashed across his face but it turned into a grin as she leaned forward. He had her scent now and his eyes changed from blue to yellow as his hunger took over. Her face was so close she could smell the coppery scent of blood in his mustache and his snake eyes filled her vision.

"Matching panties huh? Now that is somethin' I would like to get a gander at."

A sudden smile spread across her face, if she was going to act like a Gecko then she might as well do it right. "Yeah, they'll really _blow you away."_ Her voice cracked with laughter as she spoke the words. "Adios cowboy." His eyes went wide with shock as Kate pressed her .38 Special to his chest and shot him point blank. The old cowboy stared down, gaping at the bullet wound in disbelief as he burned up and disintegrated. A white cowboy hat and two leather holstered six-shooters sitting in a pile of ash were all that remained to mark his passing.

\--

_Cold.........why am I so fucking cold?.........._

"Unh..." Richie groaned, his throat felt raw with thirst and his body shook, wracked by painful cold shivers. He rolled his head from side to side, blinking his eyes to clear his sight but pitch blackness was all that he could see. Why was he laying here in the dark? He had been looking for something.........a key...........and then........"SANTANICO!" Richie roared as he scrambled up from the floor. His hand went flying to his pocket making a grab for his knife but he came up empty. "Where are you, you bitch!"

"Whoa, I knew you were a nutcase but talking to the statue of a dead woman is a whole new level of crazy, even for you."

Richie spun in the direction of the familiar voice, fists up, he was ready for a fight. "What the fuck are you doing down here Scott? Shouldn't you be upstairs licking your master's boots?"

"What the fuck am I doing down here? How about saving your life you prick. _You're very fucking welcome._ "

" _You_ saved me from Santanico?" He was completely dumbfounded, why would Kate's brother lift a finger to help him? And how do you kill someone that's already dead?

Scott's scornful laughter echoed off the walls of the chamber. " _Santanico?_ Now I know you've completely lost touch with reality! You and your brother already did her in, remember? _I_ saved you from _Maia_ , and just in time too, she pretty much had you completely drained. I thought you were already dead when I got here."

 _Maia!_ Relief flooded through him, the thought of Santanico reaching out from the underworld to kill him just might have been maddening enough to actually send him over the edge. "Yeah......I thought I was dead too........." Richie's thoughts were spinning, something was wrong. "Scott, how am I not dead?"

There was a long silence then Richie heard the familiar flick of his lighter and he blinked in the sudden brightness. Scott stared at him solemnly. "You lost too much blood Richie, you were right on the edge. So I did the only thing I could think of to save you." Richie waited for more but Scott just stood there stone-faced.

Another violent shiver wracked his body but this time it wasn't the cold. "You turned me?" Scott nodded stoically. Richie reeled as the world began to unravel around him, he tried to grasp at his thoughts as they went spinning out of control away from him. All he could think of was the look of disgust on his brother's face when he found out, Seth _hated_ culebras with a venomous passion. What was he going to do now? He sat down hard on the stone floor, staring about as if there were answers waiting in the darkness and his eye caught on the stone urn sitting on the floor beside Scott's feet. Needing something to focus on before he well and truly went mad he reached out his hand and traced his fingers along the imprint in the lid. "Do you have the key?" Scott gave him a puzzled look but Richie just held out his hand, gesturing impatiently. "I went through all this trouble to get this damn thing, nearly got killed in the process. I want to see my payday, I think I've earned it."

There was a jingle of metal as Scott fished the medallion from his pocket, his face held an odd mix of apprehension and anticipation as he handed it over. Richie snatched the key from him and fitted it into the lid, it slid into place perfectly. There was a grinding noise of stone against stone as he twisted the medallion in it's lock and then he felt the lid give, he tore it off impatiently and it fell to the floor with a loud _thunk._ He reached up to grab his lighter out of Scott's hand and held it to the opening but the urn was too deep, he couldn't see the contents. Richie shoved his hand down into the opening then quickly snatched it back, cursing. A great rattling sound and a chorus of hissing came from the depths of the urn and he stared at it in complete shock.

Scott's sudden laughter broke through the din and Richie stared up at him, doubled over in his mirth. "Whoo! That look! That....." he wheezed and his belly shook with laughter as he tried to get the words out, "Almost getting killed by Maia.......that was totally worth it to see the look on your face!"

Incredulous rage boiled hot in his gut. "I risked my ass for a jar full of FUCKING SNAKES?! This is _not_ fucking funny Scott. Why the hell would Carlos have me steal a jar of snakes? And why the fuck would a guy like Malvado keep that shit locked up IN A GODDAMNED SAFE?...Scott?" He slammed the lid back on the jar and rose from the floor, Scott was so hysterical he paid no mind to Richie as he towered over him threateningly. "SCOTT!"

If the kid hadn't just saved him Richie would have pummeled him within an inch of his life. Scott wiped a tear from his eye as he straightened himself out and took a deep, steadying breath. "It's his 'iik."

Richie stared at him, nonplussed. "His Ike? What the fuck are you talking about?"

"It's his 'iik." Scott enunciated the word, making a popping sound in the back of his throat when he pronounced the k. "That rattlesnake you heard in there, _that's_ Carlos' soul, culebras call it an 'iik."

"Okay, let me see if I have this straight. Carlos' soul is a snake and Malvado is keeping it in a jar? And _I'm_ the crazy one?" He looked at Scott incredulously in the flickering glow of the lighter.

"I know, it sounds pretty insane right? It's not just Carlos that has an 'iik, all culebras do, including me and you. There's a weird, ancient Mayan story about it. When you become a culebra the serpent comes from the underworld and consumes your soul as payment for the gift of eternal life, then it stays housed within your body and if you are killed it carries your soul back to the underworld. I never would have believed it but I was there the day Malvado took Carlos' 'iik, I saw him reach into his chest and pull out a rattlesnake! Normally that would mean death for a culebra but apparently The Nine Lords know how to remove a culebra's 'iik without killing them. Malvado uses it as a kind of "last chance" control tactic, cross him the wrong way or fuck up real bad and he'll rip out your soul and keep it in that jar. I heard rumors that he has hundreds of them, though judging from the sound coming from that urn there's probably no more than a half a dozen or so in there."

Richie couldn't tell if it was just his imagination but he thought he could feel something shifting inside him, though it was a difficult story to swallow he believed Scott. Until about a year ago he hadn't even know about the existence of a secret race of bloodsucking snake people and now he was one of them. Believing that his soul was now a snake that belonged to the underworld wasn't much of a stretch from there.

Scott drew one of his swords and held it out to Richie. "Here, kill the damn things and be done with it. End Carlos, then we can go get my sister and Seth and get the fuck out of here."

Richie wanted to howl with despair, they had all been through so much to get to this point and all he had to show for it was a jar of snakes. Souls. _What the fuck ever._ The gears turned in his head, already forming a plan. Richie had come here for that big score and he wasn't leaving without it. "No. I can't kill Carlos, not yet anyway."

"What the fuck Richie? He'll kill us all once he gets what he wants. Why take that risk when you can end it now?"

"Because Scott, this was supposed to be the endgame for us. After our big score here we were going to go settle down somewhere, get Kate away from all this shit. We can still get our payday but we need that snake for leverage." Scott shook his head disparagingly and made a move for the urn but Richie blocked him. "After all the shit she's been through Kate deserves a better life. Help me pull this off and we can give it to her."

"Scott?" Kate's wavering voice called from the top of the stairway. "Scott, are you down here?"

Something happened in the chamber as Kate's voice echoed off the walls, the glow of the lighter in Richie's hand seemed to dim a bit, as if the darkness was pressing in on it. The powerful aura of malevolence that he had felt in the room earlier returned tenfold, the unseen watcher was back. Scott shared a meaningful look with Richie, he felt it too. Sheathing his sword he bent down to haul the urn from the floor and gestured to Richie to lead the way before calling up to Kate. "Yeah Kate, I'm here and I found Richie. Stay there, we'll be right up." Richie went first, holding the lighter high so that they could make their way up the stairs.

 _"Riiichaaard."_ He glanced over his shoulder, though Santanico's statue wasn't visible in the blackness he imagined that he could still see her, glowering her hateful judgement upon him. Scott gestured impatiently for him to continue, Richie wondered if he too could hear the voice but he was afraid to ask. He didn't know which answer would terrify him more.

"Hey Richie, I've really missed you. Did you get into the safe?" From the way Kate's voice shook he could tell that she was frightened, she could sense the wrongness of this place.

"Of course I did, in record time too." Her tinkling laughter echoed lightly down the stairway, sending a flood of warmth through him. "Is Seth-"

 _"Kill her Richard! She wants to be set free."_ The sudden command pushed strongly against his mind. Richie felt an urgent hunger clawing inside him and he gasped in shock as his fangs suddenly unhinged, dropping down to replace his human teeth. There was a sharp pain as the tip of his tongue split and it darted from his mouth, testing the air. Kate's exquisite scent wafted down from the top of the passageway, landing heavily on his tongue. Of all the nights he had spent pressed up against her, breathing her in as they slept, he had never imagined that underneath the familiar scent that was purely Kate there was another one much more divine. Her blood smelled like ripe, luscious berries, honeysuckle on a warm summer's day and delicious, golden sunshine. A low, moaning growl tore from his throat before he could stifle it.

There was a quick flicking sound behind him and Richie felt the tip of a blade digging into his back. Scott leaned in close to whisper to him. _"Dude, I almost just died saving you, don't make me kill you now. You need to chill the fuck out."_

"Guys......what's going on down there?" There was a shuffling sound and Richie panicked as he realized that Kate was coming down the stairs. He wanted to rush up the stairway and wrap her in his arms, shower her with kisses and never let her go. He wanted to lunge up the stairway and wrap her in his ravenous embrace, sink his fangs into the tender flesh of her neck and glut himself on the sweet nectar coursing through her veins. It took everything he had to tamp down the ferocity of his hunger but slowly, slowly, his fangs began to recede.

"We're okay Kate, don't come down. Just stay where you are, we're coming to you." Wary of the blade pressed up against him Richie slowly turned to face Scott and frowned in dismay when he saw that the knife he was holding was actually _his_ lucky blade. _"I just need a minute. Go on ahead of me."_ Kate's brother looked at him dubiously but he closed the knife and pushed past him on the stairwell. As he squeezed by Richie halted him with a hand on his shoulder. _"Don't.........Please don't tell her about me being turned. I'll tell her and Seth myself, but not until we've made it out of here alive."_ He wasn't ready to for them to know yet. Kate might be a little more accepting, considering how much she still loved her brother but Seth......Richie was terrified that his brother would reject him.

Scott nodded his consent and in that moment Richie felt an overwhelming gratitude for the kid, even more so than for having saved his life. "Here, I've got my swords, I don't need this." He pressed Richie's knife into his hand with a grin. "You have no idea how lucky that blade really is!"

He hung back, watching as Scott ascended the stairs until he was beyond the dim glow of the light. _"Kill them Richard. Kill them both. You want to taste her, I know you do."_ The blackness pressed in around him with it's malicious intent, clawing at his mind and for a moment Richie wavered as reality unraveled around him.

"Richie, where are you? Come on, let's get out of here." Kate called to him impatiently and at the sound of her voice everything seemed to snap back into place. 

_"You had your chance Santanico,"_ he whispered harshly into the darkness, _"I will never be your slave again."_ He almost thought he could hear weeping coming from the chamber below.

When Richie got to the top of the stairs Kate ran to him and flung her arms about his neck, showering him with kisses which he returned with avarice. He felt his fangs twitch against the roof of his mouth as he buried his face in her neck and inhaled her scent but he kept a firm hold on his hunger. Mingled with her divine fragrance was something that he hadn't noticed earlier and his heart ached when he recognized the scent. _Seth._ "Kate, where is my brother? You two were supposed to stick together, that was the plan."

Kate's delighted smile fell and she looked up at him solemnly. "I messed up Richie. When Scott told me that Carlos knew where you were I dragged him down here to help me find you. I ran off with the only gun we had and now Malvado has Seth." Her eyes brimmed with tears and her bottom lip trembled as she admitted her mistake. She looked so mournful but Richie couldn't help but smile as he brushed a tear from her cheek with a gentle finger. This whole job had gone so terribly terribly wrong, what was one more fuck up in a mountain of mistakes?

"It's okay Kate, we'll get him back. Alright? We've gotten out of tighter spots than this!" He smiled encouragingly to cover up the lie.

Kate swiped at a couple of stray tears and took a deep, steadying breath. The girl had a backbone of steel. "Yeah, alright. Let's go get him. Scott, are you with us still?" She looked to her brother who stood a little ways off, pointedly ignoring their exchange.

"Of course I'm with you." Though he didn't say it the implication was obvious, Scott was here for his sister, not the Gecko brothers. "I just have one question."

Kate smiled, obviously overjoyed that her brother had decided to stick around. "What is it Scott?"

"What's with the six-guns strapped to your waist?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll tell you a little secret, the cowboy's name is Virgil.
> 
> How about that season 3 finale guys! I must admit, there were some showdowns that I was dearly hoping to see and I was bitterly disappointed when they didn't happen but the _end!_ I mean the very very end, I'm still high off it! I woke up this morning with a smile on my face like, "Oh what a day! What a lovely day!"


	31. You can beat the hell out of Seth Gecko but you'll never keep him down.

Seth knew he was good and fucked. The two men gripping him were massive, hulking giants and they held on to him with little effort. The best he could hope for was that Richie would somehow find him but seeing as how his brother had become somewhat unreliable lately he wasn't about to hold his breath waiting for a rescue. Why the hell did he agree to do this fucking train wreck of a job? _Oh yeah, right, I let my fucking lunatic brother and a teenage girl talk me into it._ He winced as the thought crossed his mind but he was really fucking pissed off. First Richie lost his shit on him in that bar and then Kate went rushing off with her brother, leaving him behind.

Seth wasn't the praying kind but if he was then he would be begging the Good Lord that somehow Kate would make her escape, he couldn't bring himself to think of the grisly alternatives. "You better hope to hell that Kate's alright, if she's hurt in any way I'm gonna rip those fangs right outta your head and feed them back to you with my fist!" Malvado completely ignored Seth and his steady tirade of threats and colorful insults as they made their way through Jacknife Jed's. He began gathering his men, calling some over and sending others away to bring more, by the time they arrived at the elevator he had accrued a group of at least a dozen with more trickling in. "You fuckin' self important prick, your boys are gonna be sweepin' your ashes up off the floor when I'm done with you. You hear me?!" The two men holding Seth dragged him through the elevator doors as he struggled and railed at their boss. Though the cargo elevator was quite large it was a tight fit, the men all crowded close together around Seth and his escort while Malvado stood in a small circle of open space. They may have just been keeping a respectful distance but it seemed to Seth that the boss made his men uneasy. As the elevator doors closed behind them Seth struggled against his captors once more, straining with every inch of his being to reach Malvado. "Hey, I'm talkin' to you, you overgrown leach!"

Seth was surprised when Malvado finally turned to regard him with an infuriatingly smug grin. "Your persistence in making threats is somewhat puzzling to me as you are obviously not in a position to be carrying them out. It seems that you might not have a complete grasp on your situation Mr. Gecko, please allow me to educate you." Malvado made a small gesture with his hand and the two men holding Seth began "educating" him with their fists.

Time stretched into an unending haze of pain as they made their slow descent. The elevator moved at a snail's pace and Malvado stopped it several times to send off some of his men while he stood to one side, making calls on a radio. He was searching for his treacherous junkyard dog. Seth listened in as best he could while he took the beating of a lifetime, from what he could make out from the crackling, static filled responses on the radio no one had seen Carlos. If they had they weren't telling.

Seth gritted his teeth to keep from crying out as he took another hit to his already tender ribs. There was a sickening crack which would have had him doubled over in pain if the man behind him didn't have a firm grip on his arms, holding him steady so his partner could beat the ever-living shit out of him. The other men crowded into the elevator either watched on with mild interest or ignored them completely, they had all seen this sort of thing before. The hulking lug of a man in front of Seth reared back and rammed his fist into his solar plexus with the weight of a freight train. He coughed and choked, gasping for air as his diaphragm went into excruciating spasms. Apparently he was wheezing a little too loud as he fought to suck in air, Malvado turned to his men and snapped his fingers, making a cutoff gesture with his hand as he continued to listen to his walkie. Suddenly the hands holding him let go and he fell to the floor in a broken heap. Clenching his jaw he forced himself to his feet, his busted ribs kept him from standing up straight so he had to settle for an awkward, not so impressive hunched over stance. Those bastards wouldn't get the satisfaction of seeing him huddled on the floor like a bitch. If nothing else Seth Gecko could take a beating like a champ, it was something he had learned from childhood, courtesy of his father.

The further down they went the more anxious and frustrated Malvado became and his men began shifting restlessly. It was obvious that something was going on, the air in the elevator was one of tense readiness. They stopped yet again and Malvado sent another group of his thugs out searching for answers while he waited in the elevator for them. Seth stared out into the room in awe. He had seen the truckloads of tribute coming into the loading dock above on his previous recon trip to Jacknife Jed's but he never imagined the vast trove of wealth stored below. All kinds of valuables were stacked in neat rows across the massive warehouse of a room, he even spotted a giant stack of cash sitting on a pallet, all wrapped up in plastic just as pretty as you please.

As the wait for the group of men stretched on Malvado began to grow impatient, his mood sent the rest of the men waiting with him into an uncomfortable frenzy of nervous fidgeting. Suddenly there was a great commotion far back, out of sight, and cries echoed through the room. One of the men that had previously exited the elevator came tearing through the isles, running as fast as he could. "It's him Hefe! It's-" He cut off with a cry as a wooden stake thrust through his chest from behind, the man fell away in a shower of sparks and there was Carlos. Twirling the stake in his hand he stared down Malvado with a smarmy grin.

"I hear that you have been looking for me _hefe_. Well....." he paused to brush a streak of ash from his black leather jacket, "here I am."

 _"Carlos you treacherous wretch!_ Your stupidity knows no bounds. I will kill you for this insubordination!" He turned to the man working the elevator controls, "Down, now!" The man didn't move, he stood there, staring at Malvado with a defiant expression on his face.

Carlos grinned wickedly as he advanced toward Malvado. "The guys and I have been talking, we think it is time for a change of management around this place, isn't that right boys?" A stream of men began emerging from between the rows of valuables and soon there was a large group standing behind Carlos, awaiting his command. His grin slowly turned into a hateful grimace. "Oh what a lovely day for a revolution."

 _"Oh fuck me runnin'!"_ Seth whispered to himself. Here he was caught in the middle of a culebra coup wounded, weaponless and just as helpless as a babe.

Malvado moved first, he struck out with lightening speed and the man working the elevator controls went down choking in a pool of blood as his throat was ripped out. As if that were a signal the elevator erupted into absolute chaos. Most of the men in the elevator surrounded Malvado, forming a protective barrier around him while their comrades turned on them and began attacking. Seth dropped low and tried to squeeze his way past the men to exit the elevator but then the battle spilled out the doors and he was swept along in it's wake.

As soon as he was free he made a mad dash away from the action, ducking behind a stack of pallets. Each panting breath he took sent another jolt of pain from his broken ribs through his left side. Seth knew he was in no shape to fight, his only shot was to try to keep out of the fray and wait for his chance to get back to that elevator. That was his plan anyway. As the fighting heated up the melee quickly spread, small knots of men broke off from the larger groups, brawling among the rows of valuables and Seth found himself moving further and further away from the elevator.

As he crept along down an abandoned isle two men suddenly burst out from between a row of pallets right in front of him. They fought furiously, trading blows as each man tried to reach the other with a wooden stake and eventually one of them fell in a heap of soot to the floor. Seth froze as the triumphant culebra looked up at him, they locked eyes for a moment before he dropped his gaze to the floor where the wasted culebra's stake had fallen, they both dove for it at the same time.

__

Kate glanced at Richie from the corner of her eye, he hadn't spoken a word to her or Scott since they entered the elevator. His anxiety increased every passing moment as their search for Seth kept coming up empty. Richie remained closed off as as they made their ascent, his eyes stared off into a distance that she couldn't see and he muttered to himself while he tapped his fingers against the stone urn he had cradled in his arms. His muttering was making Scott uneasy. Her brother kept shooting Richie sidelong glances and his hands would fly up to touch the hilt of his swords as if he were considering using them. "Hey man, are you alright?" Richie's focus remained somewhere far away as he continued his unintelligible muttering. "Earth to Gecko, are you still with us man?" Richie showed no sign that he had heard Scott but his muttering became louder and Kate shifted uncomfortably as she caught bits and pieces of what he was saying.

_"It's the snake............the snake is the soul......................where does it go....to the underworld?........the snake is the soul.......the snake is the soul......"_

She placed a hand on his arm to give him a comforting squeeze, he stopped muttering and stared down at her. Kate almost wished she hadn't caught his attention, Richie looked at her as if he didn't know her at all, his gaze was so cold it made her shiver. Though she wanted to back away she forced herself to meet his gaze, cupping his cheek with an unsteady hand she rose up on tiptoe and brushed a kiss across his lips. "Rise and shine Richard Gecko." Blue eyes snapped into focus and he stared down at Kate as if wondering where she had come from. "Richie? Are you alright?"

He wrapped his fingers around the hand she had on his cheek and turned his head to kiss her palm tenderly. "I'm fine Princess, don't worry about me." The smile he gave her was reassuring but he still seemed preoccupied. Richie tipped her chin up to give her another kiss and his eyes slid closed peacefully behind the lenses of his horn rimmed glasses. Kate's eyes were wide open. It was obvious that Richie was slipping and without Seth around she was worried that she might not be able to bring him back if he really went off the deep end.

"Uh guys?" Heat flushed her cheeks as she realized that she was subjecting Scott to watching their make-out session. "We're coming up to the next floor, and I think we need to get ready." Once he said it Kate realized that she could hear a commotion going on just outside the elevator doors. Scott slid his swords free from his back and Kate drew her newly acquired pistols, Richie held his lucky knife before him awkwardly as he tried to balance the stone urn on his hip.

The doors opened out onto a scene of chaos. It was an all out battle royal, shots and screams echoed throughout the room, sparks and ashes created a haze in the air as the culebras fought against each other. Far off into the room she could see a fluid shape, whirling about and where his hands landed culebras went down in a shower of blood and sparks, it was Malvado. Her heart sunk as she realized that somewhere in this fray was Seth Gecko, a single man lost in a fight among a sea monsters.

\--

Seth wearily retrieved his stake from the floor, shaking off the ash of the last culebra he had wasted. He had lost count of how many he had put down, Carlos' men, Malvado's men, they were all trying to kill him. Beyond the point of exhaustion he leaned against a stack of pallets to catch his breath. Every movement sent another jolt of pain through him and he leaned heavily to one side, trying to ease his broken ribs. Looking about Seth had no idea where he was, all of the fighting and running he had done had left him completely turned around and disoriented. If there was any chance that he would survive this to find Kate and Richie he needed to get out of the fighting and back to the elevator as quickly as possible.

He sized up the stack of pallets he was leaned against then gripped his wooden stake between his teeth and bit down hard as he began to climb. Every time he pulled himself up his ribs stretched painfully and it took all of his concentration to keep himself from tumbling to the floor. It was slow going and he had to stop frequently until the agony in his side subsided. Seth bit down hard on his wooden stake to trap the sound of his groans from any nearby culebras, he could taste soot and felt the grit of the ashes of his victims between his teeth. With one final heave he was on top of the stack and he lay on his back, breathing heavily as he stared up at the fluorescent lights hanging down from the ceiling. Once he caught his breath he flipped over and very carefully crept to the edge of the pallet to look over the room. It was complete chaos. He didn't know how Carlos' men and Malvado's men could tell each other apart and he wondered if they had just begun killing each other wantonly, without a care for who was who.

 _"Shit! Fuck! Shit. Shit. Shit!"_ If he wanted to get back to the elevator he was going to have to fight his way through. Malvado advanced slowly toward Carlos, he had a couple of straggling men still left with him but it looked like most had either gotten lost in the fighting or were dead. Carlito had joined in the fighting, wielding a sword with great skill, he struck out again and again with expert precision. As Malvado slowly closed the distance between them Carlos gave no ground as he waited on his former master.

Something else caught his eye and he squinted, unsure if what he was seeing was real. There was another group fighting out there, a tiny knot of people battling their way through the fray. They stood back to back as they lashed out at enemies on all sides. Seth's eyes went wide as he watched Scott cut down foe after foe, his swords whirling in a deadly blur. Beside him was Kate, she had two pistols firing off round after round into the melee, each time she paused to reload from the bandolier at her hip Richie would step up to cover her, his knife slashing out wildly. His brother was having a difficult time fighting as he clutched something quite large and heavy looking to his side. Their tiny group looked so impossibly small in the mass of culebras though they seemed to be holding their own, for now. He knew with gut wrenching certainty that they were searching for him and they would keep going through the deadly throng until he was found.

Climbing down wasn't any easier than climbing up had been and there were several times that he had to make a wild grab at the pallets before he fell. In the end he did end up losing his grip and he tumbled the last few feet to the floor, landing on his back with a painful jolt. All the breath was knocked from his lungs with a spray of blood that fell across his face in a warm mist. Every part of his body protested as he slowly rose from the floor but Seth forced his limbs to do his bidding. Nothing as trivial as broken bones or internal bleeding would keep him from Kate and Richie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Seth he's always getting his ass kicked, especially any time he goes up against Richie! I laughed when Santanico mentioned the beating he took during his cage fight when they were having their heart-to-heart at the prison. He does always get back up though!
> 
> I want to apologize profusely for accidentally posting the unfinished version of this chapter earlier while I was editing. I usually keep my notes a chapter or two ahead, it was a really stupid mistake.


	32. Pale Blue Eyes

Kate flipped the cylinders out on both of her guns, spilling casings to the floor as she ran a hasty eye over the rounds that were left in her belt. "Shit guys, I'm almost out of ammo!" She winced when the swear left her lips so automatically but cursing was the least of her worries in that moment. A pair of culebras made it past Scott's swords, one grappled with Richie while the other lunged for her. Kate finished reloading and snapped the chambers back in but she couldn't raise her guns fast enough. She flinched as the culebra reached for her with his knife but suddenly a wooden stake plunged through his chest from behind and he fell to the floor in a shower of sparks. Seth stood there panting wearily, he lowered the stake and gave her a roguish smile.

"Well hey there Princess, did you miss me?" He looked absolutely terrible. His face was mottled with blood and bruises, one of his eyes was swollen shut in a huge purple mound and his lip was split again, right down the middle. He leaned heavily to the side with an arm wrapped tightly about his ribs, each heavy breath sent a small wince spasming across his face. Guilt washed over her, she had gone tearing off after Richie and left Seth to his fate. He should be furious but he just stood there looking at her with that charming Seth Gecko smile.

Tears welled in her eyes and she tried to blink them back. "Seth, I'm-"

"There'll be plenty of time for all that later, sweetheart, but right now we gotta get outta here." Another culebra loomed up behind Seth, Kate raised her gun but before she could get her shot lined up Richie was there. He dispatched the culebra with a quick, vicious thrust from his knife and stood there staring at his brother apprehensively. Seth turned to look at him and scoffed, "Well I guess I oughta be glad you weren't aimin' for me that time." Richie's face fell and he cast his eyes to the floor dejectedly. "Oh fuck, don't listen to me I'm just shootin' off at the mouth." Seth reached out to grasp the back of his brother's neck fondly and Richie gave him a boyish grin. Kate smiled, she was happy to see them come back together so easily, though she knew Richie was probably in for an earful once they were safely out of this place.

Scott came striding over breathing heavily, his shoulders sagged and his jacket was covered in bloody slashes. Sparing a quick glance for the Gecko brothers he rolled his eyes and turned to speak with her. "This is real heartwarming and all but it's time to get the hell out of here. Seth doesn't look like he's in any shape to fight." He didn't mention the fact that he was completely exhausted himself. Kate fretted as she studied her brother, his face was ghastly pale and some of his cuts still oozed blood, he didn't seem to be healing very quickly. She worried that maybe he had lost too much blood and needed to feed.

Richie disentangled himself from his brother to regard Scott with a cool eye. "We're not leaving yet, we need to talk to Carlos." They all stared at him incredulously. Not for the first time today, Kate feared for his sanity.

"Uh, Richie? Buddy? I think it's time to cut and run brother."

Richie huffed irritably at his brother's patronizing tone and hefted the heavy urn he held cradled in his arm. "I cracked the safe Seth. This is what Carlos wanted us to steal, he'll do anything for what I've got in here. We can make a deal with him. Think about it, we could still get paid _and_ get these fucking bloodsuckers off our backs." Scott glowered at Richie angrily and opened his mouth but then snapped it shut again as if he thought better of what he was about to say.

What would life be like without the constant threat of death hanging over their heads? Though it had been less than a year since the Titty Twister Kate couldn't remember what it was like to go to sleep and be certain that she'd wake in the morning. She could see Seth's sense of self preservation warring with his desire for a payday. Squinting through the throng she spotted Carlos, he stood his ground fighting in the middle of a small group of men. He wasn't that far away. "We can make it Seth." His eyebrows rose in surprise as he looked at her but she just nodded to him confidently. They could do it, if they stuck together.

Scott cursed softly under his breath but nodded in agreement, he knew it was the only way for them to be free. "If we're gonna do this thing then we better do it now. I don't know how many guys are left down here but I do know that there's a shit-ton more upstairs and they could come pouring out of that elevator any minute. At the very least it would be good to only have one group trying to kill us instead of fighting everyone in the room."

Seth looked at each of them despondently, once again he was outnumbered. Sighing wearily he shook his head. "Well I guess it's better to deal with the devil you know, right? Carlos it is."

Once again Scott took the lead, cutting down anyone who crossed their path with his swords. Kate walked a safe distance behind her brother and shot down anyone that made it past his whirling blades, making sure to line up her shots carefully to make the most of her dwindling ammo. The Gecko brothers brought up the rear, Seth really was in no condition to fight though he held his stake at the ready. Richie stuck close by his brother's side, anyone that tried to come at them from behind met a quick and grisly end by his lucky blade.

The fighting became more intense the closer they got to Carlos, he stood in the center of the melee wielding his sword with well trained precision. Kate watched as a very large culebra pushed past his men, trying to stab him from behind with a stake, Carlos spun about on his heel and lopped man's head off with one fluid motion. As the man fell to the floor before him, convulsing as blood spurted from his headless stump, Carlos stopped short, staring. He had finally noticed their tiny group and his eyes lit with desire when he spied what Richie was carrying. He called to his men, rallying them to his side and they began to push through the fray, making a beeline for Richie.

Though Kate used her shots sparingly soon it was time to reload again. Richie stayed close to cover her as she shoved new rounds into the revolvers but then suddenly he disappeared. She looked up to see where he had gone to and her heart leapt to her throat as she saw him being hauled bodily from the fray, struggling in Malvado's firm grip. Flipping the cylinders back into her guns Kate raced after them, the culebra lord was moving swiftly, dragging Richie along as if he weighed nothing at all. She cast a hurried glance behind her and saw Seth chasing after but his injuries were slowing him down and he quickly lagged behind.

Malvado hurled Richie to the floor, grinning wickedly as he loomed over him. "Richard Gecko, I was wondering when we would meet. I have already become well acquainted with your brother, please, allow me to extend the same hospitality that I have shown him." Richie cried out as Malvado kicked him ruthlessly in the gut, the stone urn that he had clutched to him with a death grip fell from his hands and rolled to the floor. "I must admit, you certainly have some _cojones_ , breaking into my operation to steal from me, but I'm afraid your arrogance will be your downfall." Richie lifted himself to his hands and knees but before he could rise Malvado reared back and kicked him again, sending him sprawling back to the floor. Kate had seen enough, she cocked her guns and fired off two rounds straight at his heart. Malvado _twisted_ inhumanly in a boneless blur, avoiding her shots effortlessly. He smiled at the look of shock on her face and shook his finger at her chidingly. "You must wait your turn, _nina bonita,_ I will be finished with him soon enough." Ignoring her completely he turned his hateful gaze back to Richie who was just rising to his feet. "Did you really think that you would get away with this? I thought you were supposed to be the smart one."

Richie regarded him with his cool, blue eyed stare. He dipped a hand beneath the lapel of his suit jacket to retrieve a pack of cigarettes then tapped one loose and lit it, inhaling languidly. Thick smoke curled out from his lips as he spoke. "Haven't you heard? I'm the crazy one."

Malvado closed the distance with lightening speed, though he was weaponless Kate had seen the damage he could do with his bare hands and she feared for Richie. She tried to line up another shot but the two men became hopelessly entangled as they traded blows in their deadly struggle. Richie kept trying to reach him with his knife but the man moved like a snake, bending and twisting in impossible ways as he easily avoided the blade. It was obvious how powerful he was, every blow he landed sent Richie staggering back and a particularly nasty uppercut landed him on the floor again. Before Malvado could press his advantage Seth came out of nowhere and lunged at him from behind with a wooden stake. Though he had caught the man off guard Malvado turned at the last minute and narrowly avoided having that stake run through his chest. The culebra lord lashed out furiously, he grabbed Seth's arm and twisted hard until he dropped the stake with a painful groan. Richie scrabbled to his feet swinging his knife wildly and Malvado had to release Seth to fend him off. Seth quickly retrieved his stake from the floor and the Gecko brothers attacked as one, working together as they tried to reach Malvado with their weapons.

Though Seth and Richie fought well together it wasn't going to be enough, the culebra lord was too powerful and he was quickly wearing the brothers down. Seth was already in bad shape before this fight had begun and he panted laboriously as he fought next to his brother. They needed help. Kate looked back over her shoulder toward the melee. Scott fought on, swords hacking down any culebras that tried to get past him. He was the only reason they hadn't been overrun with enemies from behind.

Kate hefted her pistols apprehensively, if she was going to bring Malvado down she would need to get closer. As the culebra lord fought on, striking out furiously at the brothers she skirted around them carefully. Seth caught her eye as she came up behind Malvado and he gave her a slight nod. Lunging wildly with his stake Seth kept the culebra lord's attention as she crept up behind him, his effort was rewarded with a heavy punch to the ribs and he went down in a heap, writhing in pain on the floor. Kate pressed her guns to Malvado's back and shot without hesitation. One, two, three, four rounds buried in his heart.

Relief that she had made her shot quickly turned to horror as Malvado spun on her. Pain jolted up her arm as he clamped his hand around her wrist and wrestled one of the pistols away from her. Kate's heart froze in her chest as he grinned down at her maliciously. "My turn."

Shots rang out, echoing in her ears. One, two, three, four rounds buried in her gut. She felt the searing burn as each one entered her body and she collapsed to the floor, writhing in agony.

"You! You're soulless!" She heard Richie gasp in astonishment. Another shot echoed through the room and she screamed in terror as Richie thudded to the floor less than a foot away from her. Blood seeped from a bullet hole in his forehead and Kate wailed mournfully as she stared into his lifeless, pale blue eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That song is just so soulful, it makes me sad but I love it.


	33. The Devil You Know

In less than the space of a minute Seth's entire world had fallen apart.

Kate lay on the floor next to his brother's lifeless body. She sobbed in agony as she desperately tried to reach Richie, her bloody fingers scrabbled just inches from his face.

It took everything he had to haul himself from the floor, excruciating pain shot through his body with each movement but he forced himself up. He heard the click of a hammer and knew that he was next in line to be gunned down but he didn't care. Seth staggered toward Richie and Kate, maybe he could make it close enough to die in her arms.

"You fucking bastard! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" Scott rushed past Seth, howling with rage he threw himself at Malvado, swinging his swords wildly in a futile effort to end the man. Seth didn't have the heart to tell him that the bastard couldn't die.

It didn't matter. None of it mattered now. Seth lowered himself to the floor beside his brother. He raised a trembling hand to wipe at the blood that was trickling from the bullet wound in his forehead before it could drip onto his glasses. Richie hated when his glasses got dirty. He turned to Kate, lifting her up with a careful hand he cradled her head in his lap. She looked up at him with sorrowful green eyes but her hand kept stretching, reaching. Seth gripped his brother's shirt and dragged his body closer. Kate sighed as she cupped Richie's face, her blood smeared across his pale skin as she rubbed her thumb over his cheek.

"Oh Richie." A painful, choking sob wracked her body. "Seth, I'm so sorry. I tried...." She grimaced as another agonizing wave of pain tormented her. "I wanted to......save you both." She coughed again and a spatter of blood leaked from the corner of her mouth.

Seth smoothed the hair back from her forehead tenderly. "You did Kate. Richie and me we were monsters when we met you, barely even human." His tears fell over her face, sliding down to meet her own as they fanned across her cheeks in tiny rivulets. "You brought us back, gave us back our humanity. I'm not sayin' that I'll be goin' to church to pray or anything like that," he gave her a mournful smile, "but I know that there has to be a better place for you. After everything you've been through, this can't just be it." He stroked her cheek with gentle fingers as he sobbed over her broken body.

"Seth......I'll wait for you." She wheezed laboriously as she tried to suck in enough breath to speak. "I'll find Richie.........I won't leave him alone.......we'll wait for you."

Guilt stabbed through his already broken heart. If there was a place for Kate in the afterlife it certainly wasn't one where she would ever meet with the Gecko brothers. "Kate.....I don't think you'll find Richie where you're goin'........there's no place in Heaven for guys like us."

She winced but then her mouth turned up in a sad smile and she raised a wavering arm to cup his cheek with her bloodied hand. "I won't go......"

Seth's stomach wrenched nauseously. "Oh no Kate, don't say that baby."

"No.......I will forsake....the infinite peace of heaven.....................to be with Richie....to be with you......................I will forsake....heaven............... _to burn in hell."_ The light went from her green eyes and with the whisper of her last breath she was gone.

Seth wailed in anguish as he clutched Kate to his chest. Without his brother he had no purpose. Without Kate he had no hope. As he held Kate to him Seth gazed over at Richie, his empty blue eyes stared back lifelessly from behind the lenses of his glasses. His lucky blade lay on the floor beside him. Seth wiped the tears from his face furiously and rose from the floor shaking with rage. He retrieved Richie's knife from the floor with a trembling hand and hurled himself into the fight between Malvado and Scott. Seth Gecko was ready to die and he was going to go down swinging.

Scott gave him a sideways glance and a nod as he stepped up beside him. Seth never thought he'd see the day that he'd be fighting side by side with Kate's little brother but then again today was a day to end all days. They rushed Malvado together, splitting off to attack him from both sides. Though he had some difficulty dodging their combined attacks he countered swiftly, knocking Scott back with a kick to the gut and spinning nimbly to land his fist across Seth's jaw. They regrouped and came at him again. Each time they rushed him Malvado avoided their attacks with ease, striking back with a counter of his own. Seth knew it was a futile effort, apparently this man could not be killed, but he would keep fighting until his last breath. Malvado lashed out suddenly and Scott went down choking on his own blood as his throat was ripped away, his swords clattered to the floor. The culebra lord bent down and picked up one of the swords then he stepped over Scott's body as he lay convulsing on the floor. "I can see that you are ready to join your brother in hell Mr. Gecko, I can't tell you how happy I am to send you there myself." He swung the sword high and Seth sighed as he waited for death's release.

"If this is hell then I must be the devil." _Richie?_ Seth broke his gaze from the impending doom of Malvado's sword stroke and turned to look at his brother. He was alive! Overwhelming joy surged through him, lifting his heart as he stared at his brother. Richie was whole and unbroken, a tiny smear of blood across his forehead was the only evidence that he had ever been shot. "I've gotta tell you, that was a pretty clever idea, removing your own soul. Hell, I guess that would make you damn near invincible!" He chuckled, the stone urn he had been carrying earlier stood open at his feet next to Kate's body. "You told me that arrogance would be my downfall but it seems to me that it's _your_ arrogance that you should be worried about." Richie shoved his arm into the urn, searching for something, when he finally pulled his arm free he came away holding a snake black as midnight. It hissed at him viciously and tried to reach him with it's fangs but he held it tightly at the base of it's skull.

Malvado stared in shock, the sword he was holding fell to the floor, forgotten. "Now wait just a minute, you don't want to do that. I could......I could make you rich beyond your wildest dreams! I will give you everything you desire, wealth, power......just tell me what you want!"

"You know what I want?" Richie held the man with his cool stare and for a moment Seth worried that he might take him up on his offer. "I want Kate back." The black snake hissed and writhed as he pulled it apart, separating it's head from it's body with his bare hands. None of this was making any sense to Seth but he stared in astonishment as the snake flew apart in a shower of sparks, Malvado cried out wordlessly and then he too burned up and fell away in a flurry of ash.

"Richie.....when did you.......how did you............Richie, I thought I'd lost you." His thoughts were spinning in his head, and through it all the one thought kept repeating over and over, keeping rhythm with the beating of his heart. My brother's alive! Richie is alive!

Someone started clapping, it was an absurd sound in the middle of this wreckage and Seth spun about to see who would be so disrespectful. Carlos stood there grinning like a fool as he clapped his black gloved hands. "Bravo, very well done." It seemed that, while they were having their own battle against Malvado, Carlos had won out in his fight against the culebra lord's loyalists. He had a large group of men with him and they surrounded the brothers quickly. "It looks like you have completed your job, though you seem to have done it in a very unconventional manner. Thanks to los hermanos Gecko I now have everything that I wanted." The grin slid from his face and he stared daggers at Richie. "Richard, what are you doing?"

Richie delved into the urn again and this time he pulled out a diamond patterned rattlesnake. "We did the job Carlos. We've come this far and we've lost a lot. More than I was willing to sacrifice really." He stared sadly down at Kate. "It's time to end this."

Carlos scoffed nonchalantly but his eyes couldn't hide the barely contained panic that was building within him. "You'll never make it out of here alive, my men will cut you down the moment you kill me."

Seth watched in horror as his brother's beautiful face _changed._ The blue of his eyes turned to a violent shade of yellow, reptilian scales spread across his face and viciously pointed fangs dropped down to replace his front teeth. How did he not realize it? There was only one way that Richie could have survived being shot in the head and he was looking at the terrible, monstrous reality. "Oh Carlito, I'm not going to kill you. But I promise, if you ever cross me again I'll make you beg for death." Richie's jaw unhinged, his mouth opening impossibly wide. Seth cringed as he watched his brother shove the snake's head into his mouth, he could see it slithering down Richie's throat as he swallowed the serpent whole. The only sound in the room was that of the rattle on the end of the snake's tail, it shook garishly until that too was swallowed up and Richie's fangs clicked shut behind it. "You have a new boss. Bosses. Seth and I are taking over this operation. I expect your full cooperation."

Carlos swallowed thickly but without missing a beat he nodded in agreement. "Yes. Boss. No one will lay a finger on you."

"Or Seth. He's your boss now too."

Dead silence. Carlos balked and for a moment Seth thought he was going to lunge at Richie but he kept his anger in check though it showed in a tick in his cheek. "Yes, he will not be harmed."

"Good. Now go spread the word, the Gecko brothers are in charge." Carlos rounded up his men and they left to do Richie's bidding. This entire night had gone to hell and now Carlos was eating shit for his brother. It was all too much, Seth was reeling.

The room was deathly silent once everyone had gone, it was just him and Richie standing alone among all the crates and pallets of riches that were now theirs.

"Seth." Richie came to him, he reached out an anxious hand and placed it on Seth's shoulder. Without meaning to he shied from his brother's familiar touch, pulling away from the hands he had felt on his body countless times. Richie winced and his hand fell to his side. "I should have told you. I was afraid of what you'd think."

He had never felt so alone. Even when he was locked up in prison he had never felt this lonely. His brother, his partner in crime, his lifelong love affair was changed so completely that he might as well be just as lost to him as Kate was. Seth turned and walked away from his brother.

As he stumbled toward Kate he noticed that Scott was beginning to stir and he breathed a sigh of relief. At least one member of the Fuller family was still alive, in a manner of speaking.

Seth stood looking down at Kate, her empty green eyes stared back at him. She looked anything but peaceful, her broken body painted the picture of her violent death as she lay sprawled in a slowly congealing pool of her own blood. On the floor next to her was the urn. That fucking stone urn. Seth snatched it up from the floor and hurled it away from him with an anguished roar then fell to the floor and pulled Kate to him. He lay down beside her without a care for the blood that slicked the floor beneath him and hugged her close, sobbing into her hair.

__

Richie pounded his hand against the elevator wall. He had everything he thought he ever wanted but it had come at a price he never would have agreed to pay. Kate was gone and it was like she had taken all of the light of the world with her. He worried that Seth might be just as lost to him as Kate now was. That _look_ his brother had given him, it cut him right down to the bone. His brother just needed some time. Seth just needed some time, that was all. He couldn't stay in that room, he couldn't look at that ghastly scene anymore. As Richie rode the elevator up Seth lay below, wallowing in Kate's blood, hugging Kate's lifeless body, the image burned brightly in his mind.

Richie wasn't entirely alone in the elevator, though he wished to be. "What the fuck are you looking at?" He laughed mirthlessly at his own joke. Monica, his _little gordita_ , stood at the other end of the elevator staring at him with her empty eye sockets. As usual she said nothing, just pursed her lips in disapproval and stared back at him. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. "Do you know where she is?" Her nod was so slight he might have imagined it. "Is she in the same place that you are? Will I be able to see her?" He flinched as he said it. It was a dreadful thought, Kate coming back as a ghost, or a vision, but some small selfish part of him wanted her to. Monica shook her head, an emphatic _no_ and his heart sank. What was immortality if it meant an eternity without her?

The elevator doors opened and he ignored the eyeless bank teller as she followed him out into the hallway. Richie made his way to the bar, the crowd had certainly thinned out in the wee hours of the morning. Most of the human patrons had either gone to bed or had suffered a more grisly fate than a sleepless night on a lumpy mattress. The few culebras scattered about the room nodded to him respectfully as he passed. Carlos must have already been through here, they knew who the boss was now.

Richie sighed wearily as he took a seat up at the bar. He ordered a whisky neat and lit up a cigarette as he waited on his drink.

"You know, those things will kill ya. Though you look like you've already been to hell and back so maybe not."

Richie looked up and smiled at Uncle Eddie sitting just a couple of stools down from him, damn if it wasn't good to see the old man. Though now he looked much older than Richie could ever remember seeing him. His face was haggared and drawn, one of the sleeves of his suit was completely missing and his long hair formed a crazy halo about his head. "You look like you've been to hell yourself, I'm surprised I didn't see you when I was passing through."

Eddie chuckled at his feeble attempt at a joke but his laughter quickly faded. "I came here lookin' to pull your ass outta the fire but it seems that you've already been through without a burn to show for it. Where's your brother?"

Richie winced as his heart squeezed painfully in his chest. "Seth is........downstairs. I'm glad you're here, he could use your help."

"Where's Kate? Is she down there with him?"

He turned away so that his uncle couldn't see the bloody tear that escaped from the corner of his eye. "Yeah...........Kate's.....she's down there with him."


	34. Dawn

They buried Kate in Bethel, right next to her mother's grave.

The pastor from Jacob Fuller's old church presided over her funeral. Though he had thought it odd that the service was held in the pitch black of early morning he respectfully obliged and even brought a few electric lanterns to light the way. It was a tiny group that attened this pitiful service, just Richie, Scott, Uncle Eddie and himself.

Seth cringed as the pastor read a passage from the Bible that made him think of his father's burial. It was the same prerequisite crap that was recited at every funeral, just a few lines of bullshit written by some self important asshole centuries ago. He heaved a sigh of relief as they said their last _amen_ and the preacher finally stopped preaching. Seth hung back as Scott knelt beside his sister's casket, whispering to her softly through the polished wood. He watched the kid brush a bloody tear from his face as he stood up, his head hung wearily as he left his sister's side.

He waited until everyone had said their final goodbyes before he approached Kate. Seth placed a trembling hand upon the smooth surface of her coffin as he fought back the anguish and the tears. _"I didn't......we didn't have enough time. Shit, I wish I hadn't been so stupid, holding back from you. I love you. I've loved you from the moment I first saw you, trembling and terrified, in that motel room. If I was a good man I would have left you there but I'm not and I'm so....so very sorry."_ His fingers caressed the polished surface of her casket lovingly. _"Goodbye baby girl."_

Seth rose slowly to his feet and when he turned away from Kate Richie was standing there, staring at him sorrowfully. His brother reached out a tentative hand and grasped the back of his neck, pulling him in close. Richie's eyes looked dull and gray in the dim light of the lanterns. "We'll get through this brother. I promise, we'll make it through together. I know that you've gone someplace dark in your misery, let me help you through it. Just....just come back to me Seth, I need you."

Rage welled up within him and he pushed his brother away. _"It's your fault."_ He whispered the words vehemently.

Richie looked at him, eyes wide with horror. "What did you say to me?"

"You heard me. It's your fault that she's gone!" Tears streamed down his face as he railed at his brother. "You could have killed him. You had the damn thing in your hands the whole time and you could've killed him but you wanted to make your fucking deal!"

"I didn't know Seth! I thought it was just Carlos' soul trapped in there, I didn't know what Malvado had done. How could I have known!"

Seth knew that it was the truth but it didn't change the fact that Richie held on to that jar of fucking snakes, waiting to make his deal when he should have just slaughtered them all. "Yeah well, now you've got everything you've ever wanted. A big fat payday and an operation of your very own to run. Congratulations Richie, you're the fucking boss."

"Seth please, I _need_ you brother. I need you by my side." Richie pleaded with him, the desperation in his voice made Seth sick.

"Oh don't worry, I'm not goin' anywhere you miserable prick. It's the Gecko brothers against the world, right?"

The sky was just turning a gloomy steel gray as they got into the Impala, Seth slid behind the wheel while Richie retrieved a thick blanket from the back and covered up, protecting himself from the impending sunrise. In his rage Seth revved the engine just as much as he could handle, the tires spun out in the gravel of the cemetery parking lot until they caught on pavement and they sped away from Bethel like a bat out of hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this, my first ever written work of fiction!  
> I appreciate your readership, your enthusiastic support, and your bearing with me through some inconsistencies and less than perfect chapters.
> 
> What are those Gecko boys up to now? Well, life certainly won't be any easier for them now that they are at the top of the food chain, both proverbially and literally speaking. You can check out my Supernatural/From Dusk Till Dawn Crossover, "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing", if you're interested in finding out.


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